You Don't Have To Be Alone
by Bellarsam Chrisjulittle
Summary: A S&M Christmas story dedicated to my faithful readers. Inspired by the N*Sync song of the same title.
1. Thursday, December 22

**Thursday, December 22**

The most quiet time of the day at the Von Trapp villa was usually mid-morning, between nine and eleven o'clock. All seven children would be at school; the servants, having finished the breakfast, would quietly go about their tasks before lunch; and the master of the house would be in his private study, either working or reading.

Three days before Christmas, this mid-morning was no different than most. Captain Georg Von Trapp was shut in his private study, surrounded by his books and most precious antiques. His blazer, tie and shoes were all disregarded in a vacant armchair; he lay on the comfortable sofa with a blanket over his legs. Open before him was one of his favorite books: _Crime and Punishment _by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. It told the story of a young and impoverished student in Russia who committed murder and what he suffered psychologically as a result. Georg believed that this was the most brilliant examination of the human psyche that a novel had ever given.

Georg knew that, considering the time of year, this may not be the most festive thing to be reading. However, he gladly threw himself into books and activities that required a lot of thought and concentration. In other words, anything that distracted his mind from going to one subject:

The woman he loved but could never have. No wonder he wanted to keep his mind away from that.

However, around ten o'clock, Georg reached the end of the books third section. If he started the next section now, he would keep reading through lunch and become irritable as a result when the children came home. Groaning, he set the book aside, stood up, and went to the window. Outside, a perfect layer of snow covered everything, and a light amount of snow fell. It was the perfect image of winter and the Christmas season outside. The children loved it, and Georg felt happy that he could give his children a much better Christmas than they had experienced in the past few years. He had done all that he knew Agathe and Maria would want him to: teaching them about Advent, going through the traditions with them, having them make Christmas lists for him, decorating the house, and getting a Christmas tree to decorate lovingly all together.

But throughout all of this, though there was a lot of love shared between father and children, everyone knew that something was missing. Even after five months, the wound still felt open, especially when music filled the house. All eight of them knew that the most beautiful voice was not amongst them.

For the Von Trapps, the saying of "Time heals all wounds" was only true on the surface. As life always does, it went on after the departure of Fraulein Maria. But in the beginning, it had been anything but easy.

The rest of the summer was brutal for the children. Immediately following the departure of Maria came the announcement of Baroness Schrader becoming their new mother. The seven of them had tried visiting Fraulein Maria at the abbey, but she had been in seclusion and not seeing anybody. Georg and Max had tried to make things cheerful for the children, but the Baroness had just made everything worse by talking of nothing but wedding plans. By the end of the summer, she had sealed her fate by trying to convince Georg to send the children to boarding schools, even Marta and Gretl, to "fix how wild and uncivilized that little Fraulein had made them." Safe to say, a hurricane had paled in comparison to Georg's reaction; no one in the house hadn't at least heard what happened. That same day, Baroness Schrader had departed the villa, the engagement sundered, never to be seen again.

From there, matters had gone from unbearable to tolerable and, at times, quite pleasant. School started, much to the children's relief, for now they had their studies and their friends to occupy a lot more of their time now. Georg had dedicated himself to being the best father he could be; after what had happened with Elsa, he was determined never to make a mistake like that again. In fact, the very next day after Elsa had left, he had phoned the abbey. However, the Reverend Mother had told him that Maria was no longer with them, and would not tell him where she had gone. That had _not _been a happy day, especially when he told the children their governess had disappeared.

Thankfully, the lessons that Maria had taught them all were firmly implanted in their hearts: they would not mope around and stop living for her sake, but lived life as fully and happily as they could. However, this was no easy task without the person who had made their lives fully and happy.

The shrill sound of a ringing telephone brought Georg out of his melancholy reverie that he often fell into at least twice a day: _Where is she? How is she? Is she happy? Is she all right? Does she think of us? Does she think of me like I think of her? _Relieved for another distraction, Georg went to the telephone at his desk and picked it up. "Georg Von Trapp speaking," he said.

"Captain, this is the Reverend Mother of Nonberg Abbey."

Safe to say, Georg was surprised to be hearing from this woman and this place. After all, had he not been told four months ago that Maria was no longer at the abbey? So what reason could the Reverend Mother have to call him now? Unless something had happened to Maria…

"Reverend Mother? What's happened? Is she…what is wrong?"

"I wonder if you could possibly come to the abbey today and see me. Nothing is urgent, but this is important; at least, to me it is, and I hope it will prove important to you."

The Captain did not hesitate in his answer. "Of course, Reverend Mother, I will be there within the hour."

* * *

There was only one subject, one person, that linked Georg to Nonberg Abbey, and that was Maria. Whatever the Reverend Mother wanted to speak to him about, he knew that it had to do with Maria. Immediately upon hanging up, he had put on the items of clothing he had previously discarded and went out of his study for his coat. After informing Frau Schmidt he would be gone for an hour or two, he walked outside into the snowing December air. He forced himself to drive at a normal pace, even though he wanted nothing more than to break the speed limit. The Reverend Mother had said that the matter was not urgent, but Georg was eager for any information he could get about the woman he loved.

Finally, he arrived at the abbey; though the drive was a relatively short one, it had seemed a lot longer to poor Georg. He rang the bell, and a kind nun had led him to the Reverend Mother's office. He was admitted at once.

"Captain," said the Reverend Mother as he came in, her expression and tone kind and polite, but also with a hint of coolness he did not miss. "Please close the door, and come sit down."

The Captain obeyed her, having no idea what to expect from this meeting and what he would learn. Because he had no idea what this meeting was about, he waited for the Reverend Mother to speak. She sat back down behind her desk, folded her hands and wasted no time.

"Captain, you may find this strange, me asking to see you several months after Maria left you. I have some information, but before I decide whether or not I can give it to you, I need some information of my own."

Her tone retained the same politeness and coolness, which meant that he had done something wrong in her eyes. Eager to please her and find out anything he could about Maria, he said humbly, "I will answer any question you ask me with honesty, Reverend Mother."

The Reverend Mother nodded. "Good. Now, my main question is this: what happened that made Maria leave the second time?"

The Captain's eyebrows went up. "The…_second _time?" was all he could say, for he was at a complete loss now.

"Yes, Captain," said the Reverend Mother. "I had a talk with her a few days after she had initially come back. After our talk, she concluded that it was best she returned to your house and at least finish out her term with your children. However, she came back not an hour later in tears, more defeated than I've ever seen her. I asked her if she had seen you. She replied that she had, and that she had no more business with you and your family."

This information was sending Georg for a loop. Maria had come _back _and he had not known about it? "Reverend Mother, I had no idea she…I never saw her again after the party, and neither have my children. They would have told me if they had."

Now the Reverend Mother's eyebrows went up. "You _didn't _see her?" She thought silently for a moment before speaking more firmly. The coolness had somewhat disappeared from her tone. "Captain, if there is one thing Maria is not, that is a liar. Therefore, even if you did not see her, she must have seen you and drawn her own conclusions."

"What day was this, Reverend Mother?" asked the Captain, desperate to solve this mystery.

"I believe it was the…third, yes, the third of August."

Georg racked his brains for all memories of that day. It had been a Wednesday, and a beautiful day at that. What had he done that day…After a minute of remembering, he spoke, "If she had come in the house, _someone _would have known and told me, so she never went inside. The only time that I was ever outside that day was the afternoon, when Elsa dragged – I mean, when my fiancé at the time took a walk around the grounds with me…" _And run my ear off about every single option for floral arrangements…_

A look of sad understanding crossed the Reverend Mother's face; she leaned back in her chair and folded her fingers. "I did not know you had married again, Captain."

"I haven't," said the Captain right away. "For about a year, I had been courting a lady from Vienna. My intention that summer was to bring her to my villa, introduce her to my children, and marry her before the summer was over. After…after the party, we made our engagement official, but it didn't last a month. She was not the woman I thought she was, and I was not the same man I had been before this summer, thank God…"

The Captain opened his mouth, as if he were going to say more, but then shut it again. Looking at the Reverend Mother, who was now looking at him with no hint of coolness anymore, he suddenly knew what to say. "Reverend Mother, do you believe, as I do, that to marry someone when you are truly in love with somebody else is wrong?"

An expression akin to relief, understanding, sadness and hope appeared on the Reverend Mother's face as she slowly nodded her head. After a pause, she spoke: "Captain, I know you are a very smart man. From the information you have, and the knowledge that Maria would not lie, what is the logical explanation to what happened when she went back the second time?"

And suddenly, the most logical explanation clicked in Georg's mind, not only why for the second time but the first time, too. As if it were yesterday, he remembered her eyes, her beautiful eyes, when they had danced. When the two of them had stopped in their dance, his arm around her, and their eyes locked. He remembered the confusion, the fear, and something else in her eyes that had made them all the more beautiful. Georg also had a sudden image of August 3rd, of Maria walking around to the back of the house and spotting him and Elsa walking along the lake, arm in arm, and of Maria running away without either of them ever seeing her.

"Oh, my God…" he breathed, leaning back in his chair and covering his mouth. Yes, it was the most logical explanation, but…was it _possible_? If this was true…Georg could feel his heart both lift and break at the same time. Lift because it meant she returned his feelings, and break because he had been the cause of her pain. His gaze returned to the Reverend Mother and said, "Please, Reverend Mother, tell me: Is she all right? If you know, please tell me where she is."

The Reverend Mother's expression was both gentle and compassionate. "I must say, Captain, it is a great relief to know that you have not intentionally hurt Maria. I _do _know where she is, but before I tell you – _if _I tell you – there are some things that you should know."

The Captain leaned forward, ready to hear anything or do anything that would reunite him with Maria.

The Reverend Mother continued. "Has Maria ever told you about her maternal grandmother?"

"Yes, who lives in France?" replied Georg nodding. "They write frequent letters to each other."

A sad look came to the Reverend Mother's face now. "Well, only a few days after that day she went and came back a second time, a letter arrived for Maria with a train ticket from her grandmother. She was quite ill, and wanted Maria to come at once. She did, and remained with her grandmother in France until early October…when she passed away."

Hearing this, Georg felt a great sadness for Maria. She had told him in their frequent conversations during the summer about her grandmother. While Maria was very guarded about talking of her past, he had been able to learn that this maternal French grandmother had been the only family she had left. "Oh, no…how tragic…" he said. _My poor angel…_ Now he wanted nothing more than to find her and hold her to him, comforting her. If there was one thing he knew about, it was grief.

The Reverend Mother nodded sadly. "After the funeral in France, Maria came back to Salzburg and the abbey. She told me that she was no longer a postulant, and asked for help in finding a job and a place of her own. I've helped her do both. She still comes here often for mass, and we talk a bit."

Now Georg's goal was within reach: Maria was here, in Salzburg, and the Reverend Mother could give him the specific information he needed. "I would very much like to contact her, Reverend Mother."

The Reverend Mother gave him a piercing gaze; not unkind, but intent. "Captain, when you called four months ago looking for Maria, I told you the truth when I said she was not there. She was in France with her grandmother. The reason I refused to tell you her whereabouts at that time was because I thought that you had hurt her in some way, judging by the state she was in when she came back both times. While she was with her dying grandmother, she did not need anything to distract or worry her."

"I completely understand, Reverend Mother," said the Captain. "I've hurt the both of us; inadvertently, yes, but even so…if I'd only been honest with myself…" His voice drifted as he realized the truth: if he'd just been honest with himself, if he'd talked to her alone right after the dance, both of their pain could have been spared.

"Do not put all of the blame on yourself, Captain," said the Reverend Mother. "Though Maria never told me exactly what happened, I do not believe that it was you who caused Maria to leave the first time."

"What do you mean, Reverend Mother?"

The old woman sighed. "Well, from what Maria told me during our first conversation together, it sounds as if this Baroness had a private conversation with her before she left. I do not say this to criticize anybody; I am only being honest, for only by being honest can all these wounds be healed."

Upon hearing this, it made even more sense to Georg why Maria would leave like that during the party. Max inviting her to dinner – and, of course, watching them dance – would certainly give Elsa cause to action. _She is very lucky she is already out of my life, for I will waste no more energy or thought upon her. I must think of Maria now._

The old woman watched the Captain process this, and then leaned forward in her chair, her hands folded on her desk. Now the Reverend Mother spoke in her most clear tone; she had reached the crux of her invitation.

"Captain, if I give you the information you seek, I would like to know what your intentions would be. Maria has gone through a lot in the past months: losing her only family, giving up the life she had dreamed of since childhood and her experience with your family. Though she is keeping herself productive and busy, she is quite lonely, and still sad and grieving from all that's happened, though she tries to hide it. It seems that she believes that she is meant to always be alone…I need to know that, if you allow her back into the lives of your family and yourself, it would be for good. She has been through too much pain, and anything else I am afraid will break her.

"You may wonder why I have waited until now to call you. I have tried many times to have Maria open up to me about what exactly happened this summer, but she shuts within herself and will not talk of it. Neither will she talk about her experience in France. I don't believe she has even let herself cry yet. There is no worse time to be alone than Christmastime, and I'm afraid of what may happen to her if she finally lets herself go and is alone. There is only so much I can do."

Georg had heard enough. The thought of Maria sad, grieving and completely alone was more than he could handle. He leaned forward and looked beseechingly at the Reverend Mother, willing her to see his sincerity and feelings as he spoke. "Reverend Mother, Maria has been nothing short of an angel to my children. She gave them love when I could not, and opened my eyes and heart to them again. My children love her as a mother, and they miss her greatly. I, too, miss her greatly. I love her with all of my heart, as I never thought I could love again. If it were up to me, I would see that Maria was never alone again, and with a family who not only loves her, but is her own."

The Reverend Mother listened and looked at him for a minute that seemed to last an eternity to poor Georg. Finally, she gave him a soft smile, took out a pen and paper, and wrote. When she finished, she handed it to him, and he eagerly read it. He smiled and stood up. "I will be forever grateful to you, Reverend Mother. It is easy to see why Maria speaks so highly of you." He bowed his head to her.

The Reverend Mother stood up too, and held out her hand to the Captain. "I am only relieved to know that Maria has a whole world of love waiting for her with open arms. She deserves it. Please let me know what happens after Christmas."

"I promise I will." The Captain took her hand with both of his own and gave it a hearty shake before leaving the office. He had never felt so overflowing with hope in his life.

* * *

The address that the Reverend Mother had given him was not that far away from the abbey. It belonged to a cottage on a cozy lane near the mountains, surrounded by strong tall trees. The cottage itself was quite small, as it was only meant for two people at maximum. With everything covered in snow, and the trees and mountains in the background, it could be the picture of a postcard. And the lights in the front window meant that she was home.

Georg drove slowly up the lane, and parked about two houses down from Maria's cottage. Suddenly he felt very nervous. Though he wanted to see her again more than anything, he was at a complete loss as to what to say. How could he even begin to tell her all that he needed to tell her? He couldn't exactly knock on the door and, once she opens it, say "I love you" and kiss her. _God, I wish I could do that…_

He sat there in his car frozen, for six minutes straight, trying to work up the courage to just get out of the car. But he wouldn't get out of the car until he knew what to say when he saw her again. Georg was a man who did not like to walk into any situation, whether on sea or on land, unprepared or without any kind of plan. And this was so important to his family and his sanity!

However, when those six minutes were done, movement at the cottage caught his eye. The light went out, and in the next minute, the red door opened. He held his breath without knowing it; in the next moment, Maria had come out of her cottage.

In that moment, seeing Maria again for the first time in five months, Georg felt his heart fill to the brim and his soul become completely at peace. _How could I have been so blind before? I've been in love with her for so long, and have loved her for longer than perhaps even I know. Perhaps I started loving her on the very first day I met her. No, I did, absolutely. Oh, Maria…_

And so his thoughts ran on as he watched her. She was bundled up in a black winter coat, with a blue scarf wrapped around her neck, hands deep in her pockets after locking her door, and earmuffs protecting her ears. Her cheeks were rosy in the December air, and her golden hair was just the same and just as beautiful as he remembered.

But as his eyes took in the entire sight of her, he saw that something was not right. A light snow was falling, and it was the epitome of a beautiful December day in Salzburg. But Maria gave it no notice. Georg could not count how many memories he had of Maria seeing everything with fresh eyes, not taking anything for granted. Whenever she had gone outside in the summer, even if it was raining, she would take a moment to look around and smile. Now, Maria kept her eyes downcast, hidden from him, and walked quickly down her front walk and down the sidewalk in the opposite direction where he was. Her pace was not as quick or energetic as he remembered, even in this cold air.

Yes. The Reverend Mother had been right, unfortunately, and his heart cried out for her. He had a very strong urge to start up the car and follow slowly behind her, just to see where she would go – and to keep her in his sight a little longer – but he didn't. She would definitely notice and become frightened, especially if she did not recognize him. So he remained still and did not move his gaze from her until she had disappeared round a corner.

Once she was gone, he slammed his hands against the steering wheel with a cry of frustration. This was directed at himself, for being so much of a coward that he couldn't approach her due to his nerves. But he did not allow himself that emotion for very long; Maria was more important. He had not wanted to believe the Reverend Mother, but now he had seen proof that Maria was not all right. The thought of her lonely and grieving, especially now around Christmastime, when someone like her should be the happiest of all, was more heartbreaking to Georg than anything else.

A new determination filled him, one that would not be swayed or shaken, as a plan began to form in his head. He turned the ignition and began to drive back to town. He had some errands to run before he picked the children up from school. They were going to have a long conference tonight, for if he were to go through with this fledgling plan, he would need all of their help to do it.

* * *

"Excellent!" said Maria, once the group of children had finished their arrangement of 'O Holy Night.' "I can see you have been practicing without me!"

The group of children all smiled and giggled at this, for indeed they had. Ever since Miss Maria had come to the orphanage two months ago as a music teacher and volunteer, their lives had brightened considerably. The favorite time of the day for most of them was their daily music lesson in the early evenings.

"I have a feeling that your performance in the town square tomorrow night will be absolutely wonderful," said Maria confidently.

"Do you really think so, Miss Maria?" asked Mina, a six-year-old girl with blonde braids.

"I _know _so," replied Maria with a smile for the little one. "I am amazed at the progress you all have made in the past two months. Just sing your very best and with all of your hearts tomorrow, and you will feel just how amazing you all are."

All twenty-eight children smiled at her. Miss Maria always knew exactly what to say to give them confidence.

A little bell could be heard, and all of them gave a simultaneous groan. Maria clapped her hands. "All right, dinnertime! I will see you all tomorrow afternoon."

"Good night, Miss Maria!" they all called to her as they exited the room. After picking up her things, Maria followed them out and then went off down another hallway to another big room. She heard baby coos and cries long before she entered.

"Oh, Maria, could you change Rachel and put her down for me?" said Ingrid once Maria came in. She, along with two other employees, was in charge of the orphans from infants to four years. They always had their hands full with the twelve children under their care, and they welcomed any help they could get. So Maria had taken to spending any free time she could volunteering there; she always stopped by the room after the daily music lessons, and nine out of ten times she would be needed.

She smiled at the request, and said, "Of course!" She almost skipped to Rachel's crib near the high window. Rachel was nearly four months old, and one of her especial favorites among the babies. Not only was Rachel a very pretty baby – with soft brown hair and rosy cheeks – she was also quite a happy baby. She only cried for legitimate reasons – hunger and potty time – and she loved to babble and coo, which made her all the more adorable.

Leaning over her crib, Maria smiled at the baby, who immediately stopped her fussing and smiled at Maria with a happy coo. "Hello, _schatzi_," she said as she picked up the baby. "Whew, you need a change! Let's take care of that before we put you to bed."

As Maria changed Rachel's diaper, the little baby babbled away happily, energetically moving her little arms as she let Maria change her. Sometimes, Maria could not resist bending down and giving her Eskimo kisses, which only made Rachel happier. Once the diaper was changed, Maria changed her into her warm winter onesie, and carried her to the rocking chair. Once Rachel was snuggled on her chest and shoulder, Maria softly sang lullabies to her, but Rachel was quite stubborn not to fall asleep, and just stay awake quietly babbling to herself.

Maria had run out of lullaby ideas, until one song she tried so hard not to think about came into her mind. _Well, if it makes her fall asleep…_

Knowing it was the most logical decision, Maria sighed deeply, rested Rachel's head back on her shoulder, and softly sang:

_Edelweiss, edelweiss,_

_Every morning you greet me._

_Small and white, clean and bright,_

_You look happy to meet me._

_Blossom of snow, may you bloom and grow,_

_Bloom and grow forever._

_Edelweiss, edelweiss,_

_Bless my homeland forever._

When the song ended, Maria could hear the soft, even breathing of Rachel near her ear, which meant she had fallen peacefully asleep. The fact that it had been _that _song to put Rachel to sleep caused Maria's heart to twist as though a knife had pierced it. But, as always happened when she was reminded of the past summer – and of one person in particular from that summer – she swallowed hard, pushed the feeling from her mind, and forced herself back to reality.

So, Maria got out of the armchair and slowly walked back to Rachel's crib, where she very gently put her back down on the soft mat. As she gently caressed her head, she felt Ingrid come up to her and stand by her side. "She is a blessed little one," she said softly. "Her adoption papers will be finalized tomorrow."

Maria gasped and smiled at Ingrid. "Oh, that's wonderful! She'll have a home in time for Christmas!"

"Yes," she said. "The parents will take her home on Christmas Eve, so be sure to stop by sometime tomorrow to say good-bye."

A little lump rose in Maria's throat upon hearing this, but she just smiled and nodded at Ingrid. "Anything else you need me to do?" she asked hopefully.

"No, Maria, they're all down and quiet," replied Ingrid, patting her shoulder. "Why don't you head home before it gets too dark outside."

"All right, then, see you tomorrow," said Maria, trying to sound as casual and cheerful as possible when she really felt the exact opposite. She put on her coat and slung her purse over her shoulder as she slowly walked out of the familiar building, not looking forward at all to the worst part of her day.

The worst part of her day, which she prolonged by walking home slowly in spite of the cold, was arriving at her empty house that just wasn't a home.

* * *

Georg did not say anything to the children until after dinner. He wanted to make sure they did their homework before dinner, as they always did. He knew that the mere mention of Maria's name would drive all thoughts of their schoolwork far from their minds. After their dinner was finished, the eight of them all gathered in the drawing room, which they did on most evenings. They would either read or sing together more often than not; sometimes, they would just talk. That room had born witness to the great strengthening of the bond between father and children.

When everyone was seated, Georg wasted no time. "Children, I have something very important to tell you."

The seriousness in his voice caused all seven of his children to lean forward at attention. They always listened when their father spoke in that firm, serious but gentle tone.

Georg took a deep breath. "I've found Fraulein Maria."

Though he expected a happy reaction, he had not expected _that _happy of a reaction. Instantly he was bombarded with questions and exclamations of joy from seven sides.

"Where is she?"

"Is she all right?"

"Is she far away?"

"Does she miss us?"

"Does she want to see us?"

"Please can she come back?"

"Please can we see her?"

Georg wished, for the first time in months, that he had his whistle back. Not to make them behave like sailors again, but to make them all be quiet so he could get a word in. _"Children!" _he finally had to exclaim, and they instantly quieted, waiting intently for what he would say.

After taking another deep breath, Georg told the children what he had learned about Maria, including her grandmother's death. All seven children had tears in their eyes by the end, for they knew only too well the pain of losing someone so important.

Georg concluded with this: "My children, I know how much you love and miss her…I feel the exact same way. She is the missing part of our family; I only wish I had realized it when you seven had. But we cannot change the past. What we can do something about is this: Fraulein Maria is grieving and alone, and if we don't do something, that is how she will spend her Christmas. Are we going to let that happen?"

The answer was immediate and obvious from all seven children. They would do whatever it took to get their beloved Fraulein back.

Georg smiled upon hearing the tumultuous response. "Excellent. Now, let's make a plan…"

And though it took past the children's bedtime, they did.


	2. Friday, December 23

**Friday, December 23**

At mid-morning the next day, a guest came to the villa that would be spending the holidays with the Von Trapp family. As the guest was ushered into the house by Franz, before the butler went for his luggage, Georg came out into the hall and approached him with a sincere smile.

"Max!" he said happily before embracing his oldest and dearest friend. "It's so good to see you."

"Oh, Georg, you're making me blush!" said Max after their embrace had ended. "I don't remember you ever being so happy to have me back near your pantry and wine cellar."

Georg chuckled, and led Max into the house after Frau Schmidt had taken his winter coat and boots. "I must say, Georg," said Max, looking closely at his friend after the two of them had gone into the library. "You look well. The most well I've seen you since the summer, in fact. Has something happened?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," said Georg, as he poured a glass of red wine for the both of them. "Or rather, something is about to happen. Just yesterday, I found Maria."

Max gasped and smiled. "Really, Georg? You have? Oh, what a relief that is! Tell me what happened!"

Georg patiently explained all that had happened yesterday, all that he had learned, and what he and the children were planning. By the end, Max looked like an eager little boy getting ready to pull a prank. He clapped his hands once and said, "Oooh! How wonderful! At last, this family will be whole and happy again!"

"I hope so, Max," said Georg. He took pleasure in Max's enthusiasm, but he was afraid to raise his hopes too high before even speaking to Maria again. "I do hope so. I couldn't bear losing her a second time."

Max grasped his friend's shoulder, speaking reassuringly. "Have faith, my friend. I can't count the number of times I've caught you two looking at each other and then blushing. I would have said something then, but I knew you would only deny it, and I didn't want to risk incurring the wrath of Elsa Schraeder."

Georg chuckled dryly and nodded. "You'll come shopping with all of us this afternoon? I need your opinion on…_my _gift." He said nothing more, but looked at Max intently.

Max, who knew Georg very well, understood the subtext and smiled. "Absolutely."

* * *

Maria's day job from 9 to 4 each weekday was as a seamstress, in a high-end dress boutique in town. She had no idea what kind of strings the Reverend Mother had to pull to get her in such a high-end shop, but she didn't care. What she loved most about the job was how hard she had to work. Each job that came in was a challenge that pushed Maria to do better each time. These gowns required all of her concentration when being made; no detail was unimportant, and everything required a great amount of care. The ladies who bought these dresses paid more than she did in two months for a single gown, and they expected nothing but perfection. And Maria was more than happy to push herself to give it to them.

The small backroom in which she worked left little room for dilly-dally. There was but one window and a back door, and the walls were stocked and covered with beautiful fabric. And Maria did not work alone: the other seamstress employed at the boutique was a woman about her age named Joanna. In many ways, the two were complete opposites at work. Maria barely said a word at work; all of her focus was on her current task at hand. Joanna, however, loved the sound of her own voice more than anything. As she worked, she would talk, mostly to herself and sometimes to Maria. Thankfully, Maria was almost never required to respond to anything, so she had learned quickly how to tune out Joanna's voice to nothing more than distant white noise in her mind. The years she spent with her abusive drunk of an uncle had taught her very quickly how to tune out unpleasant sounds.

However, it was quite difficult for Maria to completely tune out Joanna's endless chatter today, for all she could talk about was her plans for Christmas with her family and new fiancé. "And on Christmas Eve, we're all going to gather at my grandmother's house to make Christmas cookies and sing carols. Then we will tell our best Christmas stories while we put a Yule log on the fire and try to get to sleep before midnight, and by Christmas morning all of the children will have run straight for the tree to open the presents, and our living room will be an absolute _mess _with all of that wrapping paper, it will be a miracle if we can pick it all up before our Christmas dinner of stuffed turkey and ham…"

By now, Maria had the strong urge to hurl her sewing machine at Joanna's head, just to make her be quiet. Though the past few months of sadness had helped her control her tongue and reactions, her temper remained the same. There was only so much of talk like that she could take. But it wasn't until she heard Joanna ask her a direct question that she knew she needed to get out.

"And what about you, Maria? What wonderful plans have you made with _your _family?"

Maria was already reaching for her coat and purse. Her pride would rather have her die than admit the truth to this girl. "Oh, the usual, a lot like yours," she answered flippantly as she got ready to go out. "I'm going to get my lunch, see you in a bit." And before Joanna could say another word, she had disappeared out the back door.

The crisp, December air and cold winter sunlight were the balms that she needed for her throbbing head. To be fair, Joanna was not a bad person, but she was _so _self-centered. That question she had asked Maria had been the first time Joanna had ever asked Maria anything about herself. It was no wonder why Maria did not consider her a friend or why she kept her mouth shut around her.

Deciding she deserved a treat for herself after what happened, Maria walked to one of her favorite bakeries and bought a big loaf of cinnamon bread with raisins fresh out of the oven. The smell of it made her mouth water and her empty stomach churn in anticipation. She didn't care if Joanna would still be talking when she got back. Her favorite bread would prove the best distraction.

However, when Maria came to the back alley of the shop where the back door was, she saw a sight that broke her heart. A little girl was searching through the trash can outside the building, filthy and dressed in rags not nearly warm enough for the temperature. Maria felt a huge lump rise in her throat at this terrible sight; the little thing could be no older than Marta, though she was even skinnier and smaller than Gretl. Somehow, she knew exactly what to do.

"Hello," said Maria, her tone gentle and compassionate.

The little girl immediately looked up and stopped what she was doing. Her limp blonde hair was tangled and dirty beyond recognition, and her huge blue eyes nearly popped out of her emaciated skull. The sight tugged at Maria's most tender heartstring.

"What is your name, _schatzi?_" she asked, crouching down to the little girl's eye level.

The little girl took a long moment to look at Maria, deciding whether or not to trust her. Finally she spoke in a whisper of a voice. "C-C-Clara." She shivered from the cold and from fear.

Maria smiled at her warmly. "That's a beautiful name. My name is Maria. I wonder if you could help me with something, Clara." She took out her big loaf of cinnamon-raisin bread and slowly took it out of the wrapping. Little Clara couldn't keep her eyes off the tantalizing loaf. "I bought this bread for my lunch, but it is _much _too big for me to eat all on my own. Will you help me?" The child looked so hungry and willing, but she didn't move. "This bread is freshly baked with cinnamon and raisins. Please help me?"

The little girl could no longer resist, and approached Maria. The latter then smiled even wider, and tore off most of the bread and gave it to little Clara. She immediately began to eat hungrily, as if she hadn't had a proper meal in days, which was most likely true.

Watching her eat, Maria asked gently, "Where do you live?"

Clara paused in her eating, lowered her head in shame and resumed without answering.

"Do you have any family?" Maria asked even more gently.

The little girl kept eating in silence.

_There is no way she will not have a roof over her head any more. She will freeze to death before Christmas if that doesn't happen._

And Maria wouldn't let that happen.

Without a word, Maria got up and stripped off her own coat and wrapped it around little Clara. The girl looked up at Maria in shock that anybody would do something like that for her. Maria crouched back down to her eye-level. "I would very much like to take you somewhere you can stay, Clara. They can give you food, warmer clothes, can teach you how to read and write, a warm bed to sleep at night, and there are also other children to play with as well. Would you like that?"

Clara, who still looked surprised by the gesture of the coat, took some moments to process this information. Maria waited patiently. She herself had been no older than this little girl when her parents had passed away, and if her uncle hadn't been living, this could have been her. No matter how terrible her uncle had been, he had meant food, education, and a roof over her head. This girl had absolutely nothing.

And Maria would do all in her power to change that.

Thankfully, after a few moments, the girl nodded her head, her eyes pleading with Maria that this be sincere, not a joke or a trap. Maria looked right back at her with a look that said it wasn't. She smiled and said, "Good. We will take care of you now."

Gently, she picked up the little girl – who was lighter than Maria remembered even Gretl being – and started to walk the thankfully short distance to the orphanage where she worked. Little Clara, now bundled up in Maria's arms, continued to eat her bread and unconsciously let her little head rest trustingly on Maria's shoulder.

Maria smiled to herself for the first time all day. She didn't care if this made her late coming back to work, or if it made Joanna even _more _talkative. This was more than worth it.

* * *

The seven Von Trapp children could not get out of school fast enough. There were so many reasons to be excited: school was out for two weeks, Christmas was two days away, and, with any luck, they would be reunited with their beloved Fraulein tomorrow!

They then became even more excited when their Father picked them up from school with Uncle Max, who was always a delight to see. From there, the merry group of nine went into town to the shops. It was a beautiful December day, but not like yesterday had been. Today, the sky had only a few little clouds in the sky, and the December sun shone brightly down upon the snow-covered, mountain-guarded town as it inched towards the western horizon. Everywhere, people walked past each other, bundled up against the cold, shopping and chatting. One could practically feel the Christmas cheer in the atmosphere by the two emotions the people were all sharing: happy and busy.

Max and Georg split off from the children to go to a music store while the children went to a small jewelry shop. They knew exactly what they wanted; thanks to the holiday sale, and them pooling what money they had left saved amongst one another, they were able to get what they wanted. They knew it would go wonderfully with the other gift they had spent most of last night putting together for her.

Soon their Father and Max joined them, and two more items were purchased by Georg, with the help of the children for one and Max with the other.

None of them could wait to see the looks on Maria's face when she opened the gifts.

As the nine of them left the jewelry shop, a voice could be heard down the street. "Brigitta!"

They looked east down the street, and the figure of a blonde girl about Brigitta's age came into view, running up the sidewalk towards the group. "Martina!" exclaimed Brigitta before hugging her best friend from school. "What are you doing here?"

"Christmas shopping with my family," said Martina, pointing behind her to her parents and little brother, who were walking towards them. "We're just about to go see that concert in the town square. Are you going?"

"Concert? What concert, young lady?" asked Max, his eyes getting a familiar gleam as they always did when that word was mentioned. Georg rolled his eyes.

"There's a charity concert in the town square that starts in half an hour," said Martina. "Children from that orphanage run by the abbey will be singing Christmas carols."

Georg's eyes lit up, as did Max's and Liesl's. "The orphanage at the abbey, you say? I believe we know someone who works there."

He said this to his children with a pointed look, and soon they all understood just who would be at that concert – if they were lucky. "Then let's walk there together," said Brigitta, taking Martina's hand. "We would like nothing better than to see that concert."

* * *

The town square never looked more beautiful than it did during Christmastime. A huge pine tree was set up in Christmas ornaments and lights. The shops enclosing the square held beautiful, festive window displays that could seduce even the most penny-pinching shoppers. The layer of snow that had fallen yesterday had made all the entire area appear as the inside of a snow globe. In front of the huge Christmas tree, a stage had been put together for the singers.

Maria looked around and took excitement and encouragement from this beautiful setting. So far, everything was going according to plan. She and the orphanage had been planning this concert for the past month. No fee was required, but donations were asked for in baskets that would be passed around. The money would benefit the orphanage, of course; in what way, only Maria and the other employees knew.

It had been a good day so far, with so many distractions like preparing for the concert and finding Clara to keep her busy. She thought of the little girl, now safe at the orphanage, and smiled. It was amazing how much a little kindness could do. Maria had indeed been late coming back to work, but didn't care; it had been more than worth it. Once Clara had been admitted, she'd been given a warm bath, new warm clothes and shoes, ate a good meal, and fallen into a deep, peaceful and safe sleep. She was still sleeping when they had left the orphanage, and Maria took comfort in that. It meant that little Clara felt safe and at peace now.

When Maria looked at the twenty-four children standing near the stage, her heart opened to them. They looked quite a bit scared, and she knew that they had a justified case of stage fright. People were already arriving and taking their seats. So she stood before them and smiled.

"Feeling nervous?" she asked.

None of the children said anything, but most of them nodded, especially the smaller ones. Maria smiled again, and addressed Johannes, a nine-year-old boy. "Johannes, why did you join the choir?"

He looked a little surprised to be put on the spot, but answered promptly. "Because I like singing."

"And you, Eve?"

"Singing makes me happy."

"What about you, Helena?"

"Because when I sing, I feel like I can do anything."

This answer especially pleased Maria, and her smile widened. "Well, I will tell you: that is _exactly _how I feel, and how everybody who sings feels. That joy is a gift from God. Christmas carols are some of the most special songs of all of the music that exist. Why do you think that is?"

A moment of reflection from the children before Ernst answered. "It's songs about Jesus?"

Next Hedwig answered. "So many people know them?"

Finally, Rupert gave his answer. "Because it celebrates life."

This answer surprised Maria, but when she thought about it, she understood. She smiled at Rupert and the others. "All of these answers are right. Most of all, these songs are so special because these are song that you _always _feel wonderful singing; we feel wonderful because God does, too." She held out her hands, and all of the group joined hands. "I want you, when you get on that stage and I give my cues, sing with all of your heart. Feel the joy that comes with singing these beautiful songs. Don't sing for the audience first; sing for yourselves first. Sing for all of the reasons I've heard, because of the reasons these songs are so special. As far as I'm concerned, it's just us, and I am so privileged to hear something truly special from all of you, and so is our Lord above."

The twenty-four children all smiled at Maria. Never before had they met anybody who could give them confidence so easily and so quickly. If she said they could do anything, even if for only a moment, they believed it with all of their hearts.

They stood together, holding hands, and said a prayer. With that, they were ready.

* * *

From the back of the crowd, the Von Trapps watched as the concert began.

Frau Wilhelmina, the headmistress of the orphanage, stood in front of the children – who stood in formation – at the microphone. "Thank you everyone for coming. At the start of this school year, we resolved to put more emphasis on the arts and teaching them to our children. Our teachers know how important the arts are to everyone, especially children. In the arts, a person find true freedom, and can therefore find themselves. I am honored to show you an example of how much talent and passion for the musical arts we have here. As the performance goes, we will be passing around baskets. We appreciate any donations given and welcome them.

"Now, let me introduce our wonderful music teacher and choir director, who has truly helped bring out the best in these children: Fraulein Maria Rainer!"

Of all of the applause, the loudest applause came from the Von Trapps as their beloved Fraulein came into view and stood at the microphone. The children had a hard time not running straight to her. Georg just smiled seeing her; clearly she was in a better state than he had seen her in, even if only temporarily. He knew that her blush was not just from the cold but from the applause. Hastily she calmed it with her hands, and this made him smile radiantly. _My humble darling, you deserve all of this applause and more._

His heart lifted even more as he heard her voice again for the first time in months. "Thank you all very much. There are so many things I could say about these children, their great talent, and how hard they have worked. But my words would be futile, and pale to hearing their music. So please enjoy and do not be afraid to sing along to these beloved songs we all know."

Another smattering of applause as Maria took her conducting place before the choir, though the Von Trapps still clapped enthusiastically for her.

Maria held her hands at the ready, and gave a radiant encouraging smile to the choir. With a wink, she cued and the concert began.

* * *

_Well, I shall never doubt her magical powers of music again, _was Max's thought when the concert had ended. The entire show had been a wonderful success. The children had been absolutely wonderful and sounded beautiful; not a number went by when a large portion of the crowd – at least – didn't sing along. The Von Trapps always sang along, even Georg. His eyes never left Maria.

Perhaps the most heartwarming moment came at the end of the concert. After the children bowed, they revealed a large bouquet of red and white roses for their beloved teacher. Maria, safe to say, looked completely shocked when she accepted them and took her little bow. But she also looked so humbly please that it made quite a few people tear up, just like her. Looking at Georg, the expression of love on his face was so great, Max had no heart to tease him.

When the collection basket came to them, the children happily dropped whatever change they had into the baskets. Georg also put something in, but didn't let anybody see it before he passed it along. When that was done, with a new gleam in his eyes, he turned to Max and whispered an idea to him. This caused Max to smile conspiratorially and nodded. As he walked away towards Maria, he could hear all of the children trying to convince their father to let them say hello to Maria, but Georg stayed firm. It would ruin the surprise they had planned for tomorrow if they saw her now.

He approached Maria, who was still holding her bouquet of flowers, and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned from Frau Wilhelmina and gasped at the sight of Max. "Herr Dettweiler?!"

Max chuckled and kissed her cheeks, since her hands were occupied. "My dear Fraulein Maria, it is wonderful to see you again."

Maria stuttered a bit in her shock before she managed coherent words. "Um, likewise! Well, what brings you here?" Max saw her eyes roam quickly around them, and Max knew what she was looking for. But the Von Trapps were on the other side of the square, hidden from view by the dissipating crowd.

Max laughed in response. "Wherever there is great musical talent performing, I cannot help but be there to witness it! What a wonderful job well done, my dear, I mean it. It will never cease to amaze me, how you can organize people and bring out the best in them, especially their musical best."

"Oh, Herr Dettweiler, thank you," said Maria humbly, looking down at the beautiful flowers she still held. Looking back up at the kind man smiling at her, she was at a loss for words for a moment. The two of them had never really talked alone before when they had stayed at the villa. "So…how are you?"

"Oh, I am excellent, dear," said Max, still smiling. "I'm in Salzburg for Christmas, and am staying with the Von Trapps."

Hearing that name again made Maria's heart both lift and fall – if that were even possible. "Oh! And…" She just couldn't help asking. "How…is…everyone?"

His smile became more gentle. "Doing well. Those children are still just as extraordinary and talented as you left them."

"Well, I'm sure they must love having a mother now," said Maria, her tone neutral and freezing her face to hide how much it hurt to say that.

Max's eyebrows went up. "Mother? You are mistaken, Fraulein. There is no new Baroness Von Trapp."

Now Maria's eyebrows went up even higher than Max's. _That _she did not expect to hear. Remembering the sight of the Captain and Baroness the day she had come back (though she had tried as hard as she could to obliterate it), she didn't understand. "But…I had thought that Baroness Schraeder…" Her voice was barely a breath.

"Ah, well, that didn't last past the summer," said Max, taking on the tone of a friend and conspirator. "Between you and me, her exit was anything but dignified. She tried to convince Georg to send all of the children, even the little ones, to boarding school, and he'd had enough. She left before the children started school, and was never heard from again."

Maria had to work hard to keep her jaw from dropping at hearing this. _He's…not married? _"Oh…" was all she said.

Max smiled inwardly to himself at a job well done. "Well, my dear, I'm afraid I need to get going. But it was wonderful to see you again, and I'll be sure to tell them all about your triumph tonight." He squeezed her shoulders and then walked away, leaving a still shell-shocked Maria behind in his wake.

When he rejoined the family, he looked at Georg and gave him a satisfied look that said, _"Mission accomplished." _Georg smiled back at him, and with that, the Von Trapps went back home.

* * *

Back at the orphanage, Maria pushed the new, ground-breaking information she had just learned. She would not process that until she was alone. For now, she spent a few minutes with each child of the choir, telling them how wonderful they had been and being honest as she did so. They all went to bed satisfied and happy. Maria had great delight in knowing that tomorrow, they would become even more happy when they learned of the surprise she and Frau Wilhelmina had in store for all of them.

On her way to the baby ward, Maria looked in on little Clara, who was still sleeping in her new bed, cuddled contentedly under the blankets. She smiled at the sight and stroked her newly washed and combed light blonde hair for a moment. "Sweet dreams," she whispered before leaving the room quietly.

When she came to the baby ward, Ingrid was already occupied with a stubborn two-year-old in the smaller, separate room. Glad that she would be alone, Maria walked past the other cribs until she got to Rachel's. The baby was fast asleep; though Maria knew better than to wake a sleeping baby, she had hoped that she would get to see Rachel smile at her one more time. The baby had been one of the few rays of sunshine in her life since coming back to Salzburg, and it hurt to lose her. Maria knew this was selfish, since she was being adopted by a good family, but still she couldn't help it.

Looking at baby Rachel, Maria realized that the baby would have absolutely no memory of her later in life. Maria couldn't help but think of how unfair it was that no one could remember when they were babies. If she did, then she would have so many more memories of her parents to cherish.

With tears in her eyes, Maria bent down over the baby and caressed her little head. In her most soft voice, she whispered sincerely, "I wish you all of the happiness and love in the world, little _schatzi._" She kissed the sleeping baby tenderly, and then left the room without another word.

* * *

All the way walking home, Maria's head was spinning with the unexpected encounter with Herr Dettweiler, and she was still in that state when she arrived back at her solitary cottage.

By the time her head had finally cleared just a little bit, she had changed into her nightgown and robe, her fireplace was lit, a record of soft piano music was playing, and she held a mug of hot cocoa before her as she sat at the kitchen table. She was staring at the telephone that sat there, and her mind was torn about what to do.

One side wanted so much to call the Von Trapp villa, to speak to the children again, possibly even hear his voice again, if only for a moment. If what Herr Dettweiler said was true…But the other side told her that a call from her would not be welcomed. After the way she had left without so much as a goodbye, and not contacting them again since, she was nearly convinced they now all hated her. She could never have the happiness back that she'd had with them that summer; she had no place with a happy family like that.

_But how can you know for sure unless you try and find out? _

This gave Maria a little bit more courage, and on a whim, she picked up the phone and dialed it before she could stop herself. But then she heard a busy signal on the other end after the initial moment of silence.

Hearing that she hung up quickly, taking it as a sign that she should never have even bothered. _Of course they wouldn't want to speak to you. What did you do but leave them in a way they didn't deserve. No matter what that woman said, and no matter what you felt, they deserved better than the way you left. And even if he is not married, how could you ever think he could return feelings for _you_? Because what are you? Nothing. _

And as these thoughts shouted inside her mind, and images of her grandmother, the Von Trapps, baby Rachel, and her parents, Maria could only come to one conclusion: _Everything I love in my life, I lose too soon._

She could no longer hold back, and broke down at her kitchen table, burying her face in her arms as she cried and cried and cried.

A Christmas alone seemed inevitable.

* * *

After the children had all gone to bed, Georg and Max were in his private study. Georg asked about every single word and detail of the conversation Max held at Maria.

"Are you sure you saw no disappointment or apathy in her reaction to my breaking my engagement to Elsa?"

Max rubbed his forehead, and gave a cross between a sigh and a scowl. "For the _thousandth time, _Georg, I did not. The poor thing looked shocked, and still looked it when I left her."

After a silent moment, Georg nodded and turned to the window. It would be useless to keep pestering Max for information he didn't have, so he decided to ask for information he might have. "Max, do you recall the night of the party? The Reverend Mother told me that it sounded as if Elsa spoke alone with Maria, thus causing her to leave. What do you think?"

"Hmm," Max said. "Well, that certainly wouldn't surprise me. I actually saw her go upstairs right after Maria did. And when she came down, she said she felt like celebrating, and bragged of how she was now the one who could influence you the most. Of course, these things are not substantial proof, but…"

Georg nodded. _Bitch…_he thought. _Thinking of me as a puppet she was stringing. _He sighed and smiled at Max. "Thank you, Max. I will see you tomorrow. And wish me luck."

Max smiled back. "Don't worry, Georg. I have a great amount of faith in this. Also, it's Christmas! If there is any time to have faith, it is now!"

They laughed, and Max left Georg alone. But Georg was not ready for bed; he felt restless. Seeing and hearing Maria again, and hearing what Max had to say, gave him hope and he couldn't rest. He suddenly had a very strong urge to pick up the phone and call Maria, using the number the Reverend Mother had given him. He wanted so much to hear her voice again, to be able to talk to her properly. But then he remembered the plan for tomorrow, and knew he would spoil it if he called.

However, his restless heart won out and, on a whim, he picked up the phone and dialed the number. But there was a busy signal on the other end of the line. Sighing, he hung up the phone and shook his head. _A sign that I should be patient. I will see her tomorrow and, with any luck, before Christmas Day is done, everything will be revealed and settled once and for all._

Georg walked to his window and looked out into the winter night, seeing nothing but Maria's face.

There was no question in his mind: the woman he loved would know by tomorrow just how much she was loved, and that was that.


	3. Saturday, December 24

**Saturday, December 24**

When Maria woke up on Christmas Eve morning, her whole body felt stiff and worn. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes told her just why: she had fallen asleep on the rug before the fire. Somewhere in the middle of her crying jag the previous night, she had made her way before the fire and laid down before it, watching the flames through her tears. Now, Maria sat up slowly, groaning, rubbing her neck and stretching out her back. Her face was raw from crying; the fire was now nothing more than dying embers, so she shivered in the now cold room.

After turning up the furnace to the cottage, Maria bathed and dressed herself for the day. She thought of baby Rachel, who was probably being picked up by her parents right now. The child was going to have a wonderful first Christmas, and the thought gave Maria peace. But the more she thought this, the more she realized what those things had awakened in her: the desire to have a child of her own.

Because she had wanted the life of a nun for so long, motherhood had never been something she had considered for herself, just like riches, travel, romance or marriage. But after giving up that life, her volunteer work in the baby ward, and the bond she had developed with Rachel, this new desire had awakened in her. She wanted to know how it would be to carry a child, to hold her own baby in her arms, and watch it grow up in love.

But Maria knew that to have a baby, there had to be a father, too, and there was only one man whom she would ever want to have a child with. His face burned in her vision, and then Maria blinked hard to destroy it.

It seemed her dream to be a mother would be like the rest of her dreams: futile and useless.

Pushing back fresh tears, Maria put on her coat and scarf, and walked out into the December air, gladly accepting the distraction of the cold. The sun was hidden behind heavy clouds again, and no snow fell from them. But by the time Maria arrived at the orphanage, the young woman resolved to push her own problems to the far back corner of her mind where she stored the many things she refused to consciously think about. Today was not about her – it was about the children who were about to get a wonderful surprise.

* * *

When she came to the office of Frau Wilhelmina, Maria knocked on the door before coming in. "Good morning, ma'am," she said.

Frau Wilhelmina smiled at the young woman she had known for ten years. "How many times have I told you to call me by my name now, Maria?"

Maria sighed and smiled. "Forgive the old habit of when I stayed here. So, how did the concert go yesterday? How much will each of the choir children get?"

Frau Wilhelmina's smile widened as she laughed. "It won't just be the children in the choir who will be involved now."

"What do you mean?"

"We made a lot more money than we thought we were going to make, Maria. We have enough now so that each child in this orphanage, even the babies, will be able to get a Christmas present."

Maria gasped and covered her smile. "_Really? _Oh, this is so _wonderful! _The children will be so happy!"

"Yes, I'm sure they will," said Frau Wilhelmina, standing up. "I've called the rest of the teachers to accompany us this morning into town. We will need all hands on deck to supervise everybody. My daughter and I will stay here and look after the babies while Ingrid and her two helpers will shop for them. You will be in charge of the choir, and also little Clara." She smiled at Maria's surprised gaze. "You were the first person she asked for when she woke up this morning."

Maria smiled back and nodded. A glint of something on the good woman's desk caught Maria's eye. Looking down, it looked like some sort of clip. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to it.

"Oh," said Frau Wilhelmina, picking it up and handing it to her. "That clip held quite a generous amount of money that was dropped into one of the baskets. That's a good reason why we can have all of the children get presents, not just the choir."

Looking more closely at the gold clip, she saw a white-painted carving of edelweiss. "It's beautiful," she said softly.

"Keep it."

"Oh, no, Fra-, I mean Wilhelmina, I couldn't –"

"I insist," said Frau Wilhelmina firmly. "I know how important edelweiss are to you."

Maria looked at her with wide eyes and red cheeks. "I…w-what do you mean?"

"If I recall correctly, you told me they were your father's favorite flower once."

Feeling relieved and embarrassed at the same time, Maria just nodded and pocketed the clip before leaving the office.

Right after she left, the telephone for Frau Wilhelmina began to ring. She picked it up and said, "Nonberg Abbey Orphanage, Frau Wilhelmina speaking."

"Hello, ma'am. My name is Captain Georg Von Trapp, and I would like to speak to you about something, if you can spare a few minutes."

Safe to say, Frau Wilhelmina was surprised. This was certainly no business call; the last she had heard, the Captain already had enough children to handle. "Of course, Captain. Your reputation precedes you."

"I had the honor of seeing the concert last night. The children you have are extraordinarily talented; you have much to be proud of."

"Thank you very much, sir. What can I do for you?"

"Well, this is actually about the choir director, Maria. This summer, she served as governess to my children, and is as much a part of this family as myself. I wonder if you would help in a Christmas surprise we have in store for her…"

As far as Wilhelmina was concerned, the Captain didn't need to say anymore to enlist her cooperation.

* * *

As the rest of the teachers told the children, Maria made her way to the tiny room where Clara had been placed yesterday. She opened the door and saw Clara sitting on her bed, looking out the tiny window. At the sound of the door opening, she turned her head and smiled at the sight of Maria.

Maria smiled back. "Hello, Clara."

"Hello," she replied in her tiny voice.

Maria could instantly tell that this was a person – unlike herself – who only spoke when she absolutely had to. She knelt down by the bed and took Clara's hands. "Do you like it here?"

Clara nodded in earnest and grasped Maria's hands.

"I would very much like it if you would come with me into town," said Maria. A flash of fear crossed her eyes at the mention of town. Maria squeezed her hands tighter. "Don't worry, dear. We're going with all of the children and teachers. Each child is going to pick out a present for Christmas today. That includes you."

The big blue eyes became even bigger. "Me?"

"Yes, you," said Maria firmly. "No one deserves a Christmas present more than you."

* * *

Anybody who came into contact with the children of the Nonberg Abbey orphanage that Christmas Eve morning learned never to take for granted the little luxuries we all have. Each orphan child had a small but fair amount of money each, with which they could buy themselves a Christmas present. In some stores, certain popular items were all sold out, but the orphans didn't care. They were happy with whatever they chose, and found joy in even the most humble of items. And when they bought them, they would thank the shopkeepers so heartily that the shopkeepers themselves felt it was definitely worth it to remain open on Christmas Eve.

But perhaps the most touching moment came when Maria, the choir members, and little Clara came into a toy shop. The whole time during the outing, Clara had not let go of Maria's hand, as if she believed that the act of letting go would mean she would drift back to the life she'd had yesterday before Maria found her. The big blue eyes took in everything she saw inside each shop, and the poor thing was quite overwhelmed sometimes. She would hide her face in Maria's skirt when this happened.

However, in the toy shop, her eyes finally fell on something and would not let it go. Maria looked to see what it was, and smiled. Clara's eyes had fallen upon a doll. Not one of those porcelain creations belonging to wealthy girls, that were meant to be put on a shelf rather than in a pair of arms. This was a more humble doll, but no less beautiful. The hair was of gold yarn beautifully braided tied with pretty blue ribbons that matched her pretty blue dress and pretty blue eyes. The painted pink lips smiled on the off-white skin.

Maria bent down and whispered in Clara's ear. "I think you have found your Christmas present."

Clara looked back at Maria and nodded, her eyes pleading to know if it wasn't too expensive. The poor girl had spent most of her life on the streets, and had very little education; she did not even know her letters. So Maria picked up the doll and looked at the price tag. Unfortunately, the price was just a few coins over Clara's small budget.

Thankfully, Maria let no disappointment show on her face. It was, after all, only a few coins; she could spare them, and nobody deserved this more than little Clara, after living the life she'd had. So she smiled at Clara and said, "Let's check her out."

Taking Clara's hand again, she led her to the counter and approached the register. She laid the doll before the shopkeeper, and pulled out Clara's share – as well as a few extra coins from her own purse. The shopkeeper smiled as he finalized the purchase, and then handed the doll to Maria.

After she thanked him, she turned around to Clara, knelt down before her, and held out the doll to her. "Now she belongs to you, and only you."

The biggest smile that Clara had ever smiled in her life spread across her face. She took the doll and hugged her close to her heart. Looking at Maria, she whispered, "Thank you."

And Maria knew that she was not only thanking her for the doll. In that moment, Maria had not felt so good since the previous summer.

She caressed Clara's once-pale and now-rosy cheek. "You are most welcome."

* * *

But Maria's happiness did not last long that morning.

After the group from the orphanage arrived back, the children all happily went to their own rooms to begin playing right away with their new Christmas treasures. Little Clara felt tired – the poor thing was still weak, and would take some time and lots of hearty meals to give her the level of energy the other children usually had – so Maria helped her settle down for a nap, her little arms hugging her new doll tightly.

But no matter how she politely pleaded with Frau Wilhelmina, it was of no use. She had said that there was nothing else she could do here, to go enjoy the holidays, they would see her at the abbey morning mass tomorrow, and not come back until after Boxing Day. "You have already done so much, Maria. Now you deserve time for yourself."

_That is the last thing I want, _thought Maria, but she could see the firmness as well as the kindness in Frau Wilhelmina's eyes. The woman meant well, she knew, and it would be extremely rude for her to argue.

So Maria could do nothing else but nod, force a smile, wish Frau Wilhelmina a happy Christmas, and leave.

As she very slowly walked home, Maria kicked a ball of ice along until it crumbled up. She had no idea what she was going to do today, tomorrow, or the day after now. Of course, she would go to mass Christmas morning, that was a given. Perhaps then, on Christmas night, she would go to the abbey and hear the sisters sing Christmas carols so beautifully. At least these days off afforded her the chance to sleep in and do some reading she wanted to do…These thoughts didn't really cheer Maria up, but it was better than nothing.

But when her cottage came into view, Maria stopped dead in her tracks for a moment before resuming her pace at a quicker speed. Lights were on in her front windows. _Who in the world is in there? Burglars? Criminals? Oh, _why _do I always forget to lock my front door?!_

But when Maria was just outside the house, she heard a sound she did not expect, slowing her steps considerably. It sounded like…singing. Simply lovely singing of one of her favorite songs…one that she often sang on her mountain when she felt happy (she had not sung it in months…it sounded very familiar…

_The hills are alive with the sound of music_

_ With songs they have sung for a thousand years._

_ The hills fill my heart with the sound of music._

_ My heart wants to sing every song it hears._

Maria's breath caught in her throat. She'd only ever heard that song once. _Could it be?...But it couldn't…I'm hearing things…I'm dreaming…_

_ My heart wants to beat like the wings _

_ Of the birds that rise from the lake to the trees._

_ My heart wants to sigh like a chime_

_ That flies from a church on a breeze._

Very slowly, Maria opened her front door. The singing was clear and loud now, ringing in her ears like the sweetest bells. Either she had completely lost her mind or this was real. Then she saw Max standing in her front hall, smiling happily at her. Silently, he elegantly gestured for her to go into her living room. Still in such a great state of shock, she did.

_To laugh like a brook when it trips_

_ And falls over stones on its way._

_ To sing through the night_

_ Like a lark who is learning to pray._

Maria could not hold back her gasp at what she saw in her living room: all seven Von Trapp children, standing in their singing formation, with Liesl playing a guitar, all singing and looking at her with such joy she wanted to faint. But all she could do in her shock was stand there, with her mouth open, drinking in the sight she had so dearly missed as they sang to her.

_I go to the hills when my heart is lonely._

_ I know I will here what I've heard before._

_ My heart will be blessed with the sound of music,_

_ And I'll sing once more…_

The song ended and the children and Maria stood facing each other. Her eyes filled with tears as she covered her mouth with her fingers. The children were looking at her with so much love, and looked as though they wanted nothing more than to rush towards their then-lost now-found Fraulein and hug her to them. Maria was afraid that, if she said or did anything definite, this wonderful dream would disappear before her eyes. Needing to find out the truth, and hoping she would be proved wrong, she lifted and opened her arms.

In an instant, the children were rushing to her and were embracing her. And Maria could do nothing else but hold them tightly back, cry with happiness, and say, "Oh, my goodness!" over and over again.

* * *

From the doorway to the kitchen, the Captain had watched the whole thing. From the moment Maria had come into the living room, he could not take his eyes off her. He reveled in the surprise on her face when she saw the children, and the utter happiness on her face when she embraced them. The tears streaming down her cheeks caused his heart to overflow with all of the love he felt for her. _Oh, my love, at last I see you happy again, and if you give me the chance, I will do my best to see that you are happy for the rest of your life._

He and Max exchanged a smile across the room as they watched the happy reunion. By now, Maria's shock had worn off somewhat and was talking to each of the children, exclaiming how tall Friedrich had become, how much like a lady Gretl looked, how becoming Louisa's new bangs looked on her. She noticed everything about them that had changed since the summer, eager to catch up with them.

When Max could not help but chuckle in happiness at the sight, Maria turned to him, her eyes blazing with questions. "Herr Dettweiler…how did…how did you –"

"O-ho, don't look at me, my dear," said Max, still smiling at the sight of Maria and the children. "The guilty culprit is over there." He pointed at Georg in the kitchen doorway.

Maria turned her head and her gaze fell on him, meeting his eyes. At that moment, everything else disappeared and there was only her. _Oh, boy, I am in _deep _trouble, and I don't give a damn. _Smiling gently, nervously, he walked into the room, looking at her.

"Captain?" she breathed, not taking her eyes off him. In her eyes, he saw surprise, timidity, and – dare he say it – hope.

"Hello, Maria," he said, his voice tender. His children and Max smiled at this, looking back and forth from him to Maria. He saw the surprise in her eyes when he addressed her by her given name.

"I…" She shook her head slightly, most likely trying to calm down. "I don't understand, how did you know where I lived?"

"Well, you will have to blame a Christmas angel for that. She helped me find you, and naturally I couldn't keep this information from the children, who have missed you quite a lot since you've left."

Maria still looked at him in some confusion, knowing perfectly well this vague answer was anything but the full answer. But she remembered the children, and decided to ask the details later. She couldn't deny that she was overjoyed to see them again, and she was having a hard time believing that they could be so overjoyed and not angry to see _her _again. "Oh, children, Captain, can you ever forgive me for leaving like that? I swear, I never wanted or meant to hurt anybody, I…" She wished she had a reason she could explain, but she couldn't. She knew perfectly well what it was, but her pride would never let her say it now. "And I didn't keep in touch because…well, my grandmother passed away, and I spent her last months in France with her, and when I came back, I…I felt for sure you hated me for what I did."

"Oh, no Fraulein!" exclaimed Marta, hugging her.

"We don't hate you, not at all!" said Gretl.

"We're so sorry about your grandmother, Fraulein," said Liesl, taking her hand. "And of course we understand."

"We've missed you so much, and are just so happy to see you again," said Brigitta.

"It just isn't the same without you," said Kurt.

"We're sorry for breaking into your house, even if the door was open," said Friedrich a bit sheepishly. "But we wanted to surprise you."

"And we didn't want to stand in the cold," said Louisa, and then went silent at Georg's stern look.

He turned his now more gentle gaze back to Maria. He approached her, and took one of her hands in both of his. The effect was immediate upon them both: their first skin-on-skin touch. Maria gasped at the feeling of his warm hands holding her own, and Georg silently reveled in finally being able to touch her, even as innocently as this. "We all would like to ask you, Maria, if you would spend Christmas with us."

Still in awe by the fact that he was holding her hand, Maria took a deep breath and looked at him properly. How often had those blue eyes haunted her, and how often had she wished she would see those eyes looking at her the way he had when they had danced…just like now.

"Why?" she breathed; it was the only thing she could think of to say.

His answer was immediate, without hesitation, and intimate. "Because everyone else in this room considers you a part of this family; this wouldn't even be a family without you."

Looking into his eyes, Maria could see that he was not lying. He had never lied to her before, and this time was no exception. All of the other emotions she should be feeling about the whole situation – doubt that this was all real, anger at their breaking-and-entering, curious as to the details about them finding her – were all forgotten for a moment as she looked at the Captain, feeling her hand encased safely in both of his warm ones.

Only one answer came to mind. She nodded her head, without breaking his gaze, gave a shy smile and said, "I would love to."

The children all cheered, and Max just smiled silently as he watched the tableau. For Maria and the Captain, they could still see nothing but each other. The Captain smiled in pure gratitude and love that had yet to be spoken; then he kissed the hand he was holding before he let it go. Maria felt the kiss on her hand long after like the most pleasant burn.

When he let go of her hand, the spell between them broke, and Maria hugged the children again for they wanted to hug her in gratitude. Coming back down to earth, she smiled and said a bit breathlessly with cheeks still pink, "Well, how on earth _could _I say no, after even resorting to criminal measures? Let me just pack a bag, all right? Who wants to help me?"

All of the children volunteered, and followed Maria to her bedroom. As they left the room, all seven looked back at their father, who smiled and gave them a thumbs up which said, "_Excellent job! Phase one is complete!" _

When Georg and Max were alone in the room, they exchanged a conspiratorial smile as Georg took something out of his pocket and placed something beneath the little Christmas tree Maria had in her living room. Max chuckled. "Now, don't forget your…what was it…your gloves?"

Georg gasped and thanked Max for remembering that little detail, and placed his gloves over the item he had just placed under her tree. A few minutes later, Maria and the children came back into the living room. Maria was now wearing her coat and carried her carpetbag in one hand.

"All right, children, get your coats and hats on, please," said Georg. The children immediately did so, chatting happily amongst themselves. As Max helped the little ones, Georg turned his gaze to Maria. She stood just where he had stood when the children had been singing, leaning against the doorway. Her eyes were closed, with her head down, as she took deep breaths. Wanting to make sure she was all right, Georg walked over to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Are you angry?" he asked softly, so only she could hear him.

Maria raised her head and looked at him, her breath catching at finding him so close to her. Looking into his eyes, Maria shook her head. "If I should feel angry, I don't. I'm still a bit in shock, to be honest, and a bit overwhelmed." She gave him a small smile. "But I must say, your timing is quite perfect."

Georg returned her smile, and with his free hand took her carpetbag from her hand, brushing her fingers with his deliberately as he did so. Neither of them missed the shudder that passed through Maria's body, but both of them knew that now was not the correct time to further dwell on that.

* * *

It was with pride that the Captain and his children welcomed Maria back to the villa. The young woman thought the grounds and villa looked absolutely magical with the snow over everything. And when she came inside, she gasped. The house was dressed to the nines for Christmas: garlands on the railings, wreaths on the door, Christmas colors everywhere, everything so beautiful that Maria wanted to cry. Seeing the villa, both inside and out, had given her such a wonderful, peaceful feeling, like coming home.

Maybe, just maybe, she _was _home. Looking at the seven children and their Father, who were all smiling at her, it was easier to believe.

"Come on, Fraulein," said Gretl, tugging at her hand. "Come and see our Christmas tree!" She led Maria to the ballroom, with the others following. Maria gasped when she entered the gilded room and saw the beautiful Christmas tree. It wasn't just the white Christmas lights or the ornaments or the shining star on the highest bow; it was the fact that the ballroom now had a large rug, a large sofa and several chairs set up in the room. Maria recognized the furniture as coming from the drawing room.

"Well, this room is certainly a lot cozier than the first time I saw it," said Maria, more to herself than anybody else. Then she heard the Captain's laugh and she blushed, remembering that him witnessing her first (forbidden) encounter with this room had been the moment they had first met. Clearing her throat a bit, she asked, "Why the ballroom?"

"Well, the children wanted a good Christmas tree," replied Georg, stepping further into the room. "And I found one with the help of my two helpers." He put a hand on the shoulder of both Friedrich and Kurt, who smiled proudly. "When we brought it home, the ballroom was the only room in which it would fit. It helps that it's also the most beautiful room in the house, and since we will all open presents by the Christmas tree, we wanted to make it comfortable."

Maria nodded, and thoroughly approved of this choice. At that moment, Frau Schmidt came into the room and smiled at the sight of Maria, who smiled right back and the two women embraced. "Oh, Maria, how wonderful it is to see you again!"

"You too, Frau Schmidt!" said Maria. The older woman hadn't changed a bit, and she was smiling so warmly at Maria.

"Here," said Frau Schmidt, taking Maria's carpetbag from her. "I'll take that up to your room. Captain, it's started snowing again."

"Marvelous!" said the Captain as the children all smiled in excitement. "Well, I don't know about you all, but I have quite a bit of energy that can only be released through some good winter sports. Who's with me?"

All of the children started cheering in affirmation, and Maria smiled and nodded at this. She could think of nothing more fun to do with this family. _Her _family.

* * *

"…seventeen…eighteen…nineteen…_twenty! _Ready or not, here I come!" called Maria, dropping her gloved hands from her eyes and looking around the white grounds. Snow was lightly falling from the sky, and not a Von Trapp could be seen. At least, clearly. She found the little ones fairly quickly in this game of snowball tag.

This was just like hide-and-seek tag, except in this game, in order to tag a person out after the seeker finds them, they must hit them with a snowball. Gradually, Maria found each of the children fairly quickly. She had played quite a few games of hide-and-seek tag with them in the summer, and knew their favorite hiding places.

But the same could not be said for their father. She had a much harder time finding him, even with the help of the children. But finally, Maria thought she saw movement inside the gazebo. Though it was constructed of strong glass, this was completely covered in snow now, so one could only see inside it through the doorway. After making a fresh snowball, Maria crept around the gazebo until she leapt in front of the entrance, snowball at the ready.

She was surprised to not only see the Captain inside, but sitting casually on one of the benches inside. He smiled at her when he saw her. But that smile and her shock didn't prevent her from doing her job: she threw the snowball and it hit him squarely in the face. To his credit, he wiped away the snow without losing his smile. "Remind me never to get in the way of your aim if ever you decide to throw something more concrete."

Maria laughed and took a step inside. "What in the world are you doing hiding in here? I thought surely you would hide someplace a bit less obvious."

Georg chuckled. "The gazebo is the _last _place anybody wants to hide during hide-and-seek games, because it is made of glass. However, in this weather, it is no longer translucent, but since I've been here a while and I hear all of the children laughing in the distance, it seems I was the only one clever enough to think of it, therefore securing the best hiding place." He held up his hands in a careless shrug, looking quite smug and pleased with himself.

Maria could not resist rolling her eyes. This was the first time that the two of them had been alone together in months, but it seemed as though there had never been a separation. It felt so easy to banter like this with each other again, and the both of them joyed in this. "And yet, clever as it was, I still found you. What do you call that, genius?" she said sassily.

His enigmatic smile became a wicked grin as he pulled out a snowball he'd been holding behind his back. "The best luck in the world."

With a shriek, Maria ran away, with Georg hot on her tail. She could hear him laughing behind her, and she laughed, too. Finally, his snowball hit the back of her head at the same time she stumbled, and with a cry, she fell to the ground face down.

"Maria!" Georg cried, and rushed to her. Gently he rolled her over and cupped her cheeks with his gloved hands. "I'm so sorry, are you all right?"

All traces of teasing and playfulness had disappeared from his face, and he looked at her with nothing but worry, apology and great compassion. This, the feeling of his gloved hands on her face, and his closeness put Maria in a dreamy daze. She managed to say, "You don't have bad aim yourself."

Just a little relief passed over Georg's face, and he wrapped his arms around her as he helped her sit up. "You're not injured at all, are you?" he said, his tone matching his face.

The feeling of him still so close and now holding her put her into even more of a daze. "No, Captain, I'm perfectly fine, honest."

Relief now fully flooded his face, but the love and compassion remained and intensified. His hold around her did not loosen. "It's Georg," he said softly. "Give me my name, please."

If he wasn't already holding her, she would have swooned. "Georg…" she said very quietly, but to him, it was loud and clear as a beautiful bell.

The sound of the seven children approaching them broke the spell between them. Georg wordlessly helped himself and Maria to her feet. But they didn't take their eyes off each other until they absolutely had to.

* * *

Dinner was a feast, an absolute feast. Because all of the servants had Christmas Day off, Frau Schmidt and the cook made the annual and traditional Christmas dinner Christmas Eve night. Everyone dressed in their best dinner things, and because they had worked so hard, the servants joined the family for the meal. Georg asked Maria to say the blessing, and she was more than happy to.

Everyone around the table joined hands. "Dear Lord, there are so many reasons that each of us has to be thankful, many of which are in this room right now. There are those out there who are without more than one of them, and I pray You look after them this Christmas, and make it just as special for them as it is for us. I know You are capable of that, Lord, and more. This morning, I thought I would be spending the day of your birth alone…but You wouldn't have that, and neither would the family at this table. My gratitude is boundless, and can only be expressed in two simple words: _Thank you. _Amen."

"Amen," said Georg, who was smiling across the table at her.

"Amen!" said everyone else at the table before everybody eagerly began eating.

* * *

After dinner, while the servants gladly cleared away, Georg led the children, Max, and Maria into the ballroom, and everyone settled on the couch, chairs and rug surrounding the Christmas tree. Liesl brought out the family guitar, which they had purchased shortly after Maria had left. "I thought we could sing some Christmas carols," said Georg. "Granted, we may not be as good as the children we saw sing yesterday in the town square, but I think we can hold our own."

Maria gasped. "You all were at the concert yesterday? But I only saw Herr Dettweiler! Why did you all keep your distance?"

"Because we didn't want to in any way spoil our surprise today," said Liesl. "Believe me, we all wanted to run up to you and hug you, but you were busy. And, Fraulein, the concert was _very _beautiful." The rest of the children all affirmed what Liesl said.

Maria sighed. "Well, I'm glad to know you all saw it. That really was a labor of love for all of us. We made a lot more money than we thought we would, so we were able to split it all evenly between each child, enough for each to buy a present for Christmas."

"Oh, Fraulein, that's wonderful!" said Louisa.

"Yes, it is," said Georg, who felt pleased that he had helped contribute to that (though he would never tell Maria).

"Those children deserve it," said Max. "Some of the best singing I've heard in a long time. Now it's not just us who know how much of a miracle worker you are, Maria."

Maria lowered her head humbly for a moment before changing the subject. "So, what carol shall we sing first?"

"Why don't we have each of us pick a carol and we sing it?" asked Georg. Everyone agreed to this idea with enthusiasm.

One by one, carols were sung. Max got the first pick ('Joy to the World'), and then all of the children (Gretl: 'Away in a Manger' – Liesl: 'Angels We Have Heard on High' – Brigitta: 'The First Noel' – Friedrich: 'O Come All Ye Faithful' – Louisa: 'Hark the Herald Angels Sing' – Kurt: 'Little Drummer Boy'). Marta was the last of the children, and she picked her personal favorite: 'Do You Hear What I Hear?' "Will you start it, Fraulein?" she asked, sitting beside Maria on the sofa with Georg on her other side.

Maria smiled at her and put her arm around her. "Of course." Looking directly at Marta, she began, as the rest of the children sang the echoing part and Liesl strummed on the guitar:

_Said the night wind to the little lamb:_

_Do you see what I see?_

_Way up in the sky, little lamb,_

_Do you see what I see?_

_A star, a star dancing in the night,_

_With a tail as big as a kite – _

_With a tail as big as a kite._

Marta smiled at her, thought for a moment, then got off the couch and sat before Kurt on the rug, singing to him and taking the second verse:

_Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy:_

_Do you hear what I hear?_

_Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy,_

_Do you hear what I hear?_

_A song, a song high above the trees_

_With a voice as big as the sea – _

_With a voice as big as the sea._

Marta and Kurt giggled by the end of the verse; everyone else, especially Maria and Georg, smiled with pure love. Kurt knew exactly who he wanted to sing the next verse to, so he turned around on the rug and face his Father.

_Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king:_

_Do you know what I know?_

_In your palace warm, mighty king,_

_Do you know what I know?_

_A child, a child shivers in the cold!_

_Let us bring him silver and gold._

_Let us bring him silver and gold._

Georg had been quite surprised and a little nervous to be put on the spot, as he always felt when he had to sing a solo of any king. But seeing Maria's joyful and encouraging smile, he knew there was no escaping. So he took a deep breath and sang the last verse:

_Said the king to the people everywhere:_

_Listen to what I say!_

_Pray for peace, people everywhere!_

_Listen to what I say!_

_A child, a child sleeping in the night:_

_He will bring us goodness and light!_

Everyone sang the final line loudly and joyfully: _He will bring us goodness and light! Bring us light!_

The song ended with a joyful applause and laughter. "Now just Fraulein Maria and Father left."

Looking at the clock, Georg said, "I'm afraid we only have time for one more, children, so I'll let Fraulein Maria take the pick."

He looked firm, so Maria didn't bother to argue when she saw the children's eager faces. "Well, all right, if you insist. Liesl, could you hand me the guitar?"

Liesl gladly handed it to her, and once Maria held it right, she strummed some beautiful chords and began:

_Silent night, holy night,_

_All is calm, all is bright._

_Round yon virgin, mother and child,_

_Holy infant so tender and mild._

_Sleep in heavenly peace,_

_Sleep in heavenly peace._

Maria soon lost herself in the song, and became a bit unconscious of all else around her; now it was just her, the guitar, and God listening. Part of the reason for this was because none of the others dared sing. Her voice was too beautiful, too pure, to be joined in by any of their voices that just couldn't compare. The Captain was especially in awe, and just let himself fall under her spell, gladly surrendering completely.

By the time the song was over, Maria received the biggest applause, but a drowsy one at that from the children. "All right, children, as much as you don't want it, now it is time for bed," said Georg in an authoritative tone.

The children groaned, but they all got up and filed out of the ball room. Some of them went off to the kitchen, to prepare the plate of cookies and milk for Christkindl. Maria gladly followed them, feeling a bit tired herself, and looking forward to putting the children to bed again. But before she left the room completely, she felt someone take her hand and stop her. Turning around, she saw the Captain standing close to her, looking at her in that special way again.

"If it's not too much to ask, Christkindl is in _dire _need of a helper, what with gift wrapping and cookie eating and other hard chores like that."

Maria giggled at his teasing, and though she was surprised, she was delighted. "Oh, of course I will."

He smiled at her and said. "Meet me down here at midnight, then, when we know all seven of them will be sound asleep."

She nodded. He then leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Thank you," before walking away. Maria shuddered and her face was bright red after she went upstairs.

Before Georg and Max went upstairs after her, Max cleared his throat and slipped a small type of plant into Georg's jacket pocket. "I assume you'll be needing that later?"

Georg felt it and chuckled. "How festive…and _very _appropriate. Thank you..." His eyes looked to where Maria had just been on the sofa beside him with a wistful look. "I hope to."

Max placed a hand on his shoulder. "You will, my friend. You will."


	4. Sunday, December 25

**Sunday, December 25**

At midnight, Maria quietly left her old room. She wore her winter nightgown and winter robe, which she had purchased for herself after coming back to Salzburg. While the nightgown itself was white, the robe was of a light blue color. Her slippers were the same color.

Her steps inaudible, Maria passed by the children's rooms; no light came from under the doors, and no sound except the deep, even breathing of sleep could she hear. Her stomach was filled with many small butterflies, and she felt jittery and jumpy.

As she walked down the stairs, Maria tied her robe tightly around her, trying to still her shaking hands. Her stomach felt full of little butterflies, and she felt jittery and jumpy all over. She knew exactly why this was: she was about to meet the Captain, late at night, and be completely alone with him for a while. She had no idea what would happen from this encounter, but somehow, deep in her bones, she knew that she would not go back to her bed the same.

As she got near the bottom of the stairs, Maria spotted Georg standing in the middle of the hall. The only lights came from candles and little Christmas light; the light was dim but gave a beautiful effect. Georg wore a rich purple robe and matching slippers, and the pajamas she could just see were the same light blue as her own robe. When he saw her, he smiled so tenderly Maria felt herself blushing a bit.

Georg approached her when she came to the bottom of the stairs. "Merry Christmas, Maria," he said as tenderly as his smile.

Maria smiled right back, and tried out his name again. "Merry Christmas, Georg." She found right away that she loved saying his name, and he seemed to like it too. His smile widened, and then she felt something warm encasing her hand. Looking down, she saw he had taken her hand in his own. When she looked back up, he said, "Follow me."

He led her across the front hall to a smaller, almost hidden hallway she had never been down before. As they walked, Maria marveled at the simple sensation of holding his hand. She was surprised that she did not feel overheated and awkward, but rather pleasantly warm and natural, as if it were the most normal and yet most wonderful thing for them to do together. Maria rejoiced in this greatly, but only showed it by the small smile on her face and the glow in her eyes. Georg noticed both when they came to the end of the hallway and the door there. He smiled and, with his free hand, took out a small key and opened the door.

"This is my private study," he said as he led Maria inside. She looked around the intimate room with great admiration. The walls were lined with shelf upon shelf full of books and beautiful artifacts from all over the world. The small fireplace was roaring, rich burgundy drapes were drawn over the window, wrapping supplies piled on top of a beautiful mahogany desk, and various boxes and toys piled before the sofa.

"Wow," Maria breathed, looking around at everything. Georg chuckled at this.

He squeezed her hand before letting it go (reluctantly), and then walked to the desk to pick up some supplies and wrapping paper. After getting themselves settled on the sofa with even amounts of supplies and presents between them, the wrapping began. Occasionally, Maria would compliment Georg on the choice of present for each child; he had clearly come to know his children much better than he had since the summer.

But when she felt she could no longer restrain herself, Maria looked at the Captain after wrapping Marta's present and asked, "All right, tell me the whole story now: How did you come to find me? I know there must have been more to it than help from a so-called Christmas angel."

Georg smiled at her before resuming his task as he told his story. "Well, before lunchtime on Thursday, I received a telephone call from the Reverend Mother. She asked that I come and speak with her that day, reassuring me that there was no urgent danger. Even so, I went right away. Even though I knew that you were no longer at the abbey, I knew that the only thing the Reverend Mother and I would have to talk about was you."

Maria's eyebrows had shot right up in surprise when the Reverend Mother's name was mentioned, but the surprise did not last long. It made sense to her that she had been the door Georg had needed to open in order to find her again. "But…why did she call you now? After all, I've been in Salzburg for over two months now."

Georg nodded in understanding. "She told me it was because Christmas was a few days alone, and she feared you would be spending it completely alone. And, believe me, she questioned me like a detective before giving me your address, phone number, and work information in order to find you."

"Why?" asked Maria, confused.

"Well, she wanted to make sure that we would welcome you with open arms," said Georg honestly. _And to make sure we loved you, especially me. _"Call it a mother's protective instinct."

Maria couldn't deny that hearing this made her heart happy. She had always looked to the Reverend Mother as a mother figure for her. She smiled. "Oh, really? How did she do that?"

Now Georg sighed, and his own smile disappeared. "Well, for starters, she told me that, a few days after you had left us, you had come back. But since you returned to the Abbey within the hour and none of us saw you, I had no idea."

Now Maria turned quite pale as she realized he had been told of her return and retreat. _Does he know why I came back? Does he know why I fled so quickly? Does he know what I saw? _It relieved her greatly that Georg was not looking at her accusingly or with anger. All she could say in a quiet voice was, "She…told you that?"

"She thought that I knew," said Georg, his voice remaining calm and without judgment. "She told me that you came back from that quite upset, and with the belief that you had no more use or purpose with myself or my family anymore. Why did you come to that conclusion without even seeing any of us?"

Maria's voice caught in her throat, and though Georg's gaze was gentle, she felt herself burning under it. _Can I tell him? Can I face that kind of humiliation if he does not care for me as I care for him? How could he possibly do that, anyway? _It took Maria several moments to find an answer she could give him that didn't betray her heart; in the end, she had to lie. "Well, I…as I walked back, I thought of the way I left, and came to the conclusion that it could never be forgiven by you or the children. I was too cowardly to face your justified anger…so I turned back before I got there."

_She's lying, _was the first thing Georg thought when she had finished speaking. While she had spoken, she had not looked him in the eye, and her voice had risen a few notes higher in pitch and volume. _If there is one thing my beloved is, that is a terrible liar. _Then Georg looked from her face to her hands, and saw that they were shaking. A stirring feeling in his heart told him not to confront her with the lie – at least, not yet. His heart had just told him the timing wasn't right; he knew his heart would tell him when the timing _was _right.

So he merely nodded and continued wrapping the gift as he continued, "Well, she wanted to make sure that I had not done anything to hurt you and put you in that state. When she was sure that we would give all we had to give you a wonderful Christmas with us, she gave me your information."

He heard Maria's quiet sigh of relief that he had not pressed her further on her answer, and almost smiled at that. They resumed their Christmas wrapping, which was almost finished. Maria, who really felt relieved and felt she had come off the hook, decided to turn the conversation onto safer and happier topics. "So, who came up with the idea of breaking into my house?"

Georg gladly laughed, and told her of how he and the children had come up with their surprise, as well as their own surprise of finding the concert she had organized Friday night. But he said nothing of the gift he knew his children had made for her; it was such a touching gift, and he knew he would be in very deep trouble with his children if he spoiled their surprise.

By the time he'd finished his account, all of the presents were wrapped. It only took three trips to put all of the presents underneath the big tree in the ballroom. When they finished with that task, both gravitated towards the plate of cookies and glass of milk.

"Well, we'll have to share the milk," said Georg. "But I have dibs on the tree-shaped cookie with green frosting and red sprinkles."

"Yes, sir!" said Maria, with a familiar salute. Georg looked at her in surprise, but she innocently looked back at him, already beginning to eat an angel-shaped cookie with pink frosting and blue sprinkles. So he laughed and they ate the cookies and shared the milk smiling.

When both were finished, the both of them turned around and looked at the now complete view of the Christmas tree with the presents underneath. It was a beautiful sight. Georg slipped his hands in his pockets, and felt what was in each one. Though the children had helped him pick it out, he could not resist giving this to Maria now.

As he took his gift out of his left pocket, Georg squeezed her fingers to get her attention. "Maria…" he said softly and intimately, with a little hint of nervousness. "Because it is now officially Christmas…I want to give you this gift now." He held out a small, squared, wrapped present to her.

Maria, too shocked and touched to refuse it, silently took the present from him, enjoying the sensation of their fingers brushing against each other. With trembling fingers, Maria untied the ribbon and neatly undid the lovely silver wrapping paper. Inside she found a green velvet box; her fingers trembling even more, Maria slowly lifted the lid and then gasped.

Inside the box was a necklace, and a beautiful one at that. The pendant was in the shape of edelweiss blooms, silver for the petals and gold for the centers. It was held by a delicate silver chain. Maria lifted it from the box, unable to say more than a few words in awe. "Oh…it's so…lovely, I…" She looked at Georg, who was happy that she liked it and hadn't tried to give it back.

He couldn't resist: Georg gently took the necklace from her and unclasped the chain. "May I help you put it on?" She nodded wordlessly. Georg placed the necklace on her, and clasped the chain behind her neck. Very gently, he let his fingers brush her neck as he withdrew them. "So, you like it?"

"Oh, yes, it's so beautiful and thoughtful!" said Maria, her hands moving up and down as if forcing herself not to touch him in some way. "Thank you so much, Georg, I…" Her voice drifted as her gaze turned to the presents beneath the Christmas tree. Her eyes widened and filled with tears, while she froze, became pale, and covered her silent gasp with her hand. She looked horrified.

"Maria?" said Georg, a little alarmed at this sudden, negative change of mood. He reached out a hand and placed it comfortingly on her shoulder. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"I…I've just realized…" said Maria, her voice a horrified murmur. "I have no gifts for anybody…"

A little relieved that it was not something more serious, Georg placed his other hand on her free shoulder and rubbed them comfortingly. "Oh, Maria, don't worry about that. After all, you didn't expect to see us this Christmas, and _we _were the ones that took _you _by surprise. We never expected any presents from you, and frankly, we don't care that we don't."

Maria shook her lowered head vehemently, tears coming out of her eyes. "That's not the point! I cut myself off from all of you, completely out of my life as if you had all done something wrong!" Her haunting realization was causing her heart to open and take over what she was saying, to the point where she could not stop the words coming out of her mouth. "I never wanted to hurt anybody, I swear it! I just felt so sure that none of you wanted any more to do with me, after the way I left and didn't keep in touch. I could just imagine you looking at me coldly and without interest; I couldn't face that. I wanted to make things right once when I came back, but when I saw you with the Baroness by the lake, and you were kissing her, I knew there was no hope and that I had no right to hope I could belong with you, so –"

But Maria got no further, for at that moment, her mouth was silenced by Georg pressing his lips to hers. His hands tenderly held her face, brushing away her tears, while he kissed her lips gently but firmly, his heart on his lips. Safe to say, Maria was shocked. All of the words in her throat and all of the thoughts in her head disappeared in an instant.

Georg could no longer resist fulfilling this wish when he heard Maria speaking of seeing him and the Baroness together, confirming his theory while she exposed her little lie. This proved that she returned his feelings for her, and this made him rejoice so greatly, his heart took over, too. He would end both of their suffering and doubts now, and prayed to God he would not be rebuffed.

He wasn't. For the first moment she just stood still, trying to convince herself that this was really happening. Then, her heart took over again, and she kissed him back.

When Georg felt Maria kiss him back, his already full heart wanted to fly. His hands descended from her face, and his arms wrapped around her back, holding her to his heart as he intensified the kiss. She gladly yielded, hesitantly wrapping her own arms around his waist and responding purely on instinct. This was, after all, her first kiss.

How long had the both of them waited for this moment, much of that time without even knowing it would happen? Too long – much too long. Their hearts came completely together at last, as they held each other tightly. Neither of them would be able to say in the future how long the kiss lasted, and they didn't try. All they knew was that, when the kiss finally ended, it only ended because the both of them needed to breathe again. Their eyes opened and their gazes met. Each could see the love in each other's eyes, love that knew no limits or bounds.

Maria was a bit afraid to believe it – she felt as if she were floating on a beautiful cloud in the most beautiful dream – and she was afraid to speak for fear of waking up. Georg could see that fear in her eyes, that silent pleading that this was all true, and was more than happy to confirm it. He raised one of his hands and touched her cheek. He then said the three words he'd wanted to say to her for so long, that came out so easily now, his voice reflecting his heart.

"I'm in love with you, Maria."

The fear in Maria's lovely eyes changed to pure happiness, while tears of happiness rather than sorrow filled her eyes. "Oh, Georg…I love you so much."

They embraced, holding each other tightly, as they had wanted to do for so long, even before Maria had left. Georg soothingly rubbed Maria's back when he felt her shudder, her face buried on his shoulder. Gently, he lifted her face again and kissed away the fresh tears on her cheeks.

"No more tears, my darling," he said softly, still holding her face. "No more sadness, and no more regrets, Maria. None of us ever hated you for your silence, especially after learning about your grandmother. All of us know what it's like to lose someone so dear, and I've done much worse things in my grief than you did in yours."

Maria felt great comfort in his words, and rested her forehead against his, taking deep breaths. "It's been so hard…" she breathed.

"I know, Maria," he said, his arms wrapping around her shoulders. "I know what's it's like, that feeling of being completely alone in the world. It nearly destroyed me…until you came along, that is. I'm glad I could help do the same for you in return."

Maria let her head fall on his chest, holding him tightly as she took a deep breath before she spoke again. "When I heard from my grandmother, it wasn't a surprise that she was close to the end. She had lived a long, full and good life. My only true sadness was a selfish one; I already felt so alone and confused in the world, and to lose her felt like losing any chance of true happiness, of belonging, and of home I ever had. When I came back to Salzburg, I felt empty, and I found no joy in the world anymore. I couldn't kid myself anymore that I was meant to be a nun, and I knew that, if I couldn't be happy, I would at least be productive to help me forget about that. So I tried making a new life for myself, and it helped that I was able to do some good for those orphans…but every night, I would come home to an empty cottage, feeling like I would spend the rest of my life alone because…I could never belong where I had been most happy."

"Oh, my love," murmured Georg, holding her tightly to him and kissing her head several times. He knew that she had needed to do this, to talk about this, and he gladly listened to her. Georg remembered the first months after Agathe had died, and the state he had been in. He understood perfectly the need to be productive any chance he could, but never escaping the end of the day and facing his overwhelming loneliness.

Gently, he put a finger under her chin, and lifted her head so she could meet his gaze. "Now _I _want to make my apologies. For not talking to you straight after the dance, for proposing to Elsa after you left, and for whatever she said to you the night of the party that caused you to leave."

Maria's eyes widened in surprise, wondering how on Earth he knew about that? Had the Baroness told him? Did Max know? But Maria did not want to dwell on that night anymore.

Georg continued, his finger still under her chin, his thumb caressing it. "Even after we set up this surprise for you, Maria, it was very hard for me not to immediately talk to you. I wished more than anything I could approach you when I first found your address, when I saw the concert. I even tried calling you Friday night, even though it would spoil the surprise."

Maria's face took on a look of great surprise. "I tried to call you, too! After what Max had told me about you and the Baroness no longer being engaged for some months, I just wanted to hear your voice again."

"You did?" asked Georg, surprised himself. "But I received no calls that night."

"Neither did I! Did you get the wrong number?"

"No, when I called, the line was busy."

"Me, too…"

They looked at each other as they realized just how in sync their minds and hearts had been even then. And what could they do but laugh? Such joy and laughter filled them as it hadn't in either for a long time. Georg lifted Maria clean off the ground and spun her around as he laughed; Maria held on for dear life, laughing just as much.

When her feet finally hit the ground and the spinning stopped, their arms remained locked around each other. Maria's gaze drifted to the floor, and she saw something lying on the carpet that hadn't been there before. "Is that…_mistletoe?_" she asked, pointing at it.

Georg realized it must have fallen out of his pocket when they were spinning. So, blushing, he bent down and picked it up. "Yes, it is," said Georg, quite a bit embarrassed. "I was going to use it only as a last resort, if you know what I mean."

Maria couldn't help but giggle at the gesture and his embarrassment. She then took the mistletoe and threw it over her shoulder. "You never needed it, Georg," she said tenderly.

He smiled just as tenderly back as he drew her face closer to his. "That's wonderful to know," he murmured just before pressing his lips to hers for a second time. Both of them savored it, and the kiss quickly became passionate; Georg was gentle, and Maria felt no fear. Again, it was only the need to breathe that separated their lips. Maria rested her flushed head over his rapidly-beating heart, as Georg ran his fingers through her soft, golden hair.

"Oh, I'm so in love with you…" breathed Maria softly, which Georg almost didn't hear. But he did.

Smiling, he brought his mouth to her ear, and breathed back, "My dearest love…I'll never let you slip away from me again."

"Good," said Maria, holding him tighter. "I never want to be without you again."

"Then you won't, Maria," said Georg, holding her just as tightly back.

At that moment, the clock in the room struck once, announcing one o'clock in the morning. Both of them sighed, knowing that, with their work done, it was best to get some sleep now. But neither of them wanted to be the first to say it.

Eventually, it was Georg who handled the unpleasant task. "Well, I suppose we should get some sleep. Those children will be waking us up bright and early, so that they can open their presents before church."

Maria gave a half-hearted laugh, not wanting to leave Georg ever again, let alone now. But she knew that this was how it had to be. _If you can't do this now, how on Earth will you survive going back to your cottage after this? _So, she sighed and nodded. "At least getting up earlier means we'll see each other sooner."

Georg smiled at her optimistic view, and kissed her forehead. "That's the spirit," he said. They each kept an arm around each other as they walked out of the ballroom, across the hall, and up the stairs. When they came to the point where their paths would separate, they stopped and looked at each other.

Smiling with all the love in the world, Georg cupped her face and said quietly, "I don't give a damn that you didn't bring any gifts – _this _is all I wanted this Christmas, right here in front of me."

Maria smiled tremulously at him. "I'll pray so hard tonight that this isn't a dream."

Georg lowered his head and gave her lips a gentle kiss. "It's not, Maria, I promise. I love you."

"I love you, too," she said, shyly caressing his face again. He took that hand and kissed her fingers.

"Good-night, Maria."

"Good-night, Georg."

It took all of the strength and will-power of them both to walk away from each other to their own separate rooms. Thankfully, both fell asleep quickly, feeling happier than they'd felt in months.

* * *

Georg's prediction was right: shortly after the sun came up, both Marta and Gretl ran into Maria's room, jumped on her bed and woke her up.

"Merry Christmas, Fraulein Maria!" they each said as they hugged her and kissed her awake. Maria couldn't help but laughed as she hugged them to her.

"Merry Christmas to you both back!" she said. "Have you woken everybody else, too?"

"Yes," said Gretl with satisfaction. "Everyone is going downstairs to open presents!"

"Wonderful!" said Maria. "Why don't you two go downstairs and I'll be down in a minute?"

"All right, Fraulein Maria," said Marta, kissing Maria's cheek before she and Gretl quickly left the room.

Laughing quietly, Maria rubbed the last traces of sleep out of her eyes as she got out of bed. After washing up a bit, Maria put on her robe and slippers before leaving her room. She could hear all seven children trying to contain their excitement and impatience in the ballroom as she walked towards the staircase.

Looking up, she saw the figure of Georg approaching the stairs from the opposite hallway. Her heart lifted as memories of the previous night all came back to her, especially the sensations of when he had held her, caressed her, and kissed her. _Oh, please don't let that have been just a dream. Let me see his face so I can find out. _

She got her wish when they both stopped before the staircase, her eyes meeting his. Georg was looking at her just the same way he had looked at her last night. With a tender smile on his face, Georg opened his arms to her. Now Maria smiled and her heart rejoiced; she gladly went to Georg, but instead of just hugging him as he expected, Maria put her hands on his shoulders for leverage, went on her tiptoes, and kissed his lips.

Maria broke away after a few seconds, her face beet-red at her boldness; she just couldn't help it, she had been so happy. Thankfully, Georg's reaction was to smile in some surprise but complete happiness before giving her a powerful kiss in return. As he did so, his arms wrapped around her back and she was dipped theatrically, causing Maria to shriek and giggle against his lips.

When the kiss ended, she was even more red, and Georg looked quite please with himself. "Do you know for how long I've wanted to do that?" whispered Georg in Maria's ear.

Maria giggled. "Probably for as long as I've wanted to do what _I _just did," she replied. She smiled brightly up at him, brushing an errant lock of dark hair off his forehead. "Merry Christmas, Georg."

He pressed his forehead to hers. "Merry Christmas, my love."

The loud sounds of the children in the ballroom interrupted their tender reunion, but both just smiled and rolled their eyes at it. "Let's make sure they haven't torn the room apart yet," Georg said, taking her hand in his. Maria nodded, and they walked down the stairs and into the ballroom hand-in-hand. When the children saw this, they all smiled and cheered for the two of them. Georg smiled at them, and Maria felt more relieved than surprised at this reaction. It did her heart a lot of good that the children did not mind how she and their father felt about each other.

"Oh, Fraulein, the necklace looks so beautiful on you!" exclaimed Liesl, looking at the edelweiss pendant resting below Maria's collarbone.

Maria smiled and touched it with her finger. "Thank you, Liesl, it truly is beautiful," replied Maria.

"Father, why did you give it to her without us there?" asked Louisa, a bit indignantly.

Georg didn't look a bit sorry, and just shrugged as he replied, "I'm sorry, children, I just couldn't resist. Now, do you all want to open your presents now or wait until _after _church?"

All of the children immediately behaved themselves and answered the former.

Maria and Georg sat on the sofa, side by side and holding hands, joyfully watching as each of the seven children unwrapped each gift from Christkindl. Each reaction was happy, joyous and grateful for each gift, and this pleased Maria. Though the Von Trapp children were born in better circumstances than a lot of children, they were not spoiled. Georg, too, was proud of that.

When the children and Georg had opened all of their presents, all eyes turned to Maria. "Fraulein, we have two gifts we would like to give you," said Liesl, and Friedrich, Kurt and Louisa retrieved them from beneath the tree.

First, Louisa handed Maria a small prettily wrapped, flat, rectangular box. Not knowing what to expect, Maria opened it to find a nice, velvet box. Opening it, she saw a lovely silver chain the right length for a bracelet. With that was a small bag that jangled when Maria shook it.

"Open the bag!" exclaimed Gretl. Maria did and poured what was inside onto her lap and gasped. There were many little charms, some silver and some gold. Looking closely at them, Maria realized what they were. "Why…these are…"

"Your favorite things!" said Marta happily. "See? There's a rose charm and a kitten charm."

"Here's the kettle and the mitten," said Gretl. "And there's a package one, too."

"There's a pony one, and these bells really ring!" said Brigitta with satisfaction.

"We couldn't find strudel or schnitzel charms, but we found an apple charm and a cookie charm," said Kurt, smiling as he held these charms up.

"Here's a geese charm and a moon charm, along with a snowflake charm," said Friedrich.

"And this one we thought looked like you when you twirl in the hills, Fraulein," said Liesl, holding up a little gold charm of a girl with her arms open and her dress twirling. "We also found some charms that we really liked and thought you would like. Brigitta chose the book charm, Friedrich chose the sleigh charm, and Louisa chose the frog charm." They all shared a laugh at that.

"And who chose the pinecone charm?" asked Georg, lifting it up with a mischievous smile. "This might be my favorite."

"That was me," said Gretl proudly. "You were so funny when you sat on it, Fraulein Maria!" Again, everyone shared a laugh.

"Oh, my goodness…" said Maria, looking at all of these charms in complete surprise and completely touched. Georg felt so proud of his children for thinking of this, and gently rubbed Maria's back, as she looked a bit overwhelmed.

"You can mix and match these charms any way you want, Fraulein," said Liesl in explanation. "So, in a way, you can wear a different bracelet every day!"

Maria seemed to find her voice, as her eyes shone with emotion and joy. "Oh, children, this is such a lovely gift, thank you! I want each of you to pick a charm to put on the bracelet today." This was a fun task for the children, and within a few moments, the charms were clipped onto the bracelet and the bracelet was around Maria's right wrist.

"Beautiful, children, just beautiful!" said Maria in gratitude.

As the children went to get the second present from behind them, Georg briefly held her by the waist and whispered in her ear, "Yes, you are."

Maria blushed and lowered her head for a moment.

"Why are your cheeks so pink, Fraulein?" asked Gretl, when she looked at her Fraulein again.

"Um, uh," said Maria, grasping for an answer. "Well, I'm still a bit overwhelmed by this lovely gift, Gretl." She tried to ignore Georg's silent laughter beside her.

"Here is your second gift, Fraulein," said Liesl, as the boys laid a big, square present on Maria's lap.

"Oh, goodness!" said Maria, feeling it and determining it was some kind of book. She neatly unwrapped this present, and saw that it was indeed in book format. It was a large album with a floral covering. She didn't gasp until she opened it. Inside were pages and pages of scrapbooking, writing, drawings, mementos, photographs and memories of the summer they had spent together. Here was a piece of the drapes which she had made their play clothes with. Here were pressed flowers that were picked on her mountain. Here were pictures they had painted together. Here were photographs of them all together in various activities and play.

Maria felt so touched and overwhelmed. Georg, too, felt very touched looking at it. He was amazed that his children had pulled this together in so short of a time. He'd never felt more proud of them. "Children, this is…the most wonderful present I've ever seen!" She came to the last filled page and saw that there were many blank pages left inside.

Before she could ask, Brigitta spoke, "We want to create more memories with you, Fraulein, and we want you and Father to help us finish this book."

Maria and Georg exchanged a proud, touched smile before looking at the children again. Maria closed the scrapbook and put it aside, only to open her arms to the children so she could thank them properly. Georg also kissed and hugged his children, conveying how proud he was of each of them.

It was the best Christmas morning any of them had ever experienced.

* * *

Max came down just in time for church, being the late sleeper that he was, even on Christmas. The group of ten left the villa impeccably groomed and in their best clothes for church, taking two cars in order to accommodate everybody. They arrived at the Abbey Cathedral with time to spare, and managed to get two pews near the front.

The service was lovely, and everyone knew each of the songs that were sung, which made it even more fun. As Maria was getting communion, she noticed the group from the orphanage on the other side of the church. Some of the children waved at her, she waved back, smiling.

But the most touching moment for her came right before communion and right after the Lord's Prayer. The sign of peace was declared, and everyone in the congregation would turn to each other, shake hands or hug, and wish each other peace. It was common for most married couples to share a kiss during the sign of peace. When peace was declared, Georg and Maria first turned to each other. Maria lifted a hand to take his and said, "Peace be with you, Georg."

Georg then took that hand, pulled her to him, and gave her a chaste but heartfelt kiss, as a husband would kiss his wife. "Peace be with you, Maria," he replied.

It was no wonder Maria's cheeks remained red throughout the rest of the service, but she felt no shame or humiliation – just pure joy.

* * *

After the service, as the group made their way down the center aisle, Maria looked up to the balcony. She had recognized the sound of the choir, and smiled at the sight of the nuns, including the Reverend Mother. Georg, whose arm she was holding, nudged him and motioned for him to look up as well. He did, and smiled with her. Both made out the Reverend Mother, and saw that she was watching them with a happy and satisfied smile. Both Georg and Maria smiled back, with all of the gratitude in their hearts. If it hadn't been for her, who knows if the two of them would have ever seen each other again?

Near the back of the church, the Von Trapp group came into contact with the group from the orphanage. At the front was Frau Wilhelmina, holding the hand of little Clara, whose face lit up at the sight of Maria.

"Hello, Maria, and Merry Christmas!" said the older woman jovially.

"And the same to you, Frau Wilhelmina!" said Maria.

Looking at the Captain, Frau Wilhelmina said, "I'm glad that I helped make your plan a success, Captain."

"What?" asked Maria, looking at Georg, but Frau Wilhelmina answered her.

"The Captain called me yesterday to make sure that you go home at noon," she said with a smile. "He was determined to surprise you."

Maria wanted to laugh with joy, knowing how many people cared about her happiness and had made this Christmas so special for her. She gave Frau Wilhelmina a grateful hug. Then she knelt down to look at little Clara. "And are you having a happy Christmas, little one?"

Clara nodded enthusiastically.

Glancing around like a fellow conspirator, Maria whispered, "Where is she?"

Knowing just who she meant, Clara opened her coat and revealed her new doll tucked snugly inside. Leaning in, she whispered, "Her name is Maria."

Maria, her heart touched beyond words, smiled at Clara. Clara smiled back and then hugged Maria tightly. "You are an angel," she whispered.

Maria hugged her right back, tears in her eyes.

* * *

When the Von Trapps were outside the church in the beautiful December sunshine, Georg exchanged a mischievous smile with Max and then exclaimed with a forehead slap, "Oh, dear, I remember now!"

"Remember what?" asked Maria.

"I'm sorry, Maria, I believe I left my gloves at your cottage yesterday," he said. "Max, children, why don't you head back in the bigger car, and the two of us will go and get them?"

Maria shrugged and nodded. "Sounds fine to me," she said, privately looking forward to some more alone time with Georg. She did not notice the children all exchange excited and hopeful glances as she got into the smaller car with Georg.

As they drove the short distance to her cottage, Maria told Georg about Clara, whom he had watched embrace Maria in the church. The story Maria told touched him greatly; the thought of a child as small as Marta or Gretl living on the streets was enough to make him sick, but he was very glad that Maria had helped Clara.

After arriving at the cottage and hanging up their winter things, Maria asked, "Where did you last see your gloves, Georg?"

"Oh, well, let me think…" said Georg, who felt his nerves rising at what she was about to discover by his direction. "Well, I might have left them in the kitchen, so I'll look there, but to be safe, could you look under your little tree?"

"Oh, of course," said Maria, who immediately went into her living room and walked to the tree. Sitting down on the carpet, she found Georg's brown leather gloves and picked them up. But when she did, she saw that they had been covering something: a small, blue-velvet box. Knowing she had never seen it before, Maria put aside the gloves and picked up the box. She lifted the lid and lost her breath.

Nestled inside was a beautiful golden band with an even more beautiful diamond, surrounded by tiny sapphires and aquamarines. Her mouth opened in a silent gasp, and suddenly she sensed she was not alone. Holding the ring, Maria turned around to see Georg at eye level with her, down on one knee. "G-Georg?..." she managed to gasp, looking from the ring to him.

His cheeks were pink, and he gave a nervous, tender smile as he took her hands in his, holding the ring to the appropriate finger. "Maria…" he said, his words chosen carefully and full of emotion. "No words can describe how much I have missed you these past months, how happy I was to find you again, and how much love in my heart that I and my children have for you. We want you back in our lives to stay; _I _want you in my life, as my partner, my soul mate, my lover…my wife. I do not want us to be alone any longer. Please, my love…will you marry me?"

For a few moments, Maria was absolutely speechless. Looking into his eyes, she saw his sincerity, his nervousness, his hope and his love that she could never have dreamed of. In his eyes, she saw all that she had dreamed of for months, the key to making her happy and content with her life, and the end of her loneliness forever. In her heart, she knew that, though there would be difficulties as well as joys ahead, they would go through it together and therefore be ultimately happy.

When those few moments were done, her answer was clear. In a voice dripping with emotion, she nodded her head and said, "Yes, yes, Georg, yes."

Once he had slipped the ring onto the proper finger, he pulled her to him and kissed her over and over again, and she responded with just as much passion.

Eventually, the two of them were holding each other tightly by the Christmas tree, and Georg whispered tenderly in her ear, "You will never be alone again, my love. I promise you that."

Happy tears streamed down her face as she smiled against his heart. _Thank you, God. Thank you, Reverend Mother. Thank you, children. Thank you, Georg. _

It was the happiest moment of her life. So far.

* * *

On this Christmas night in Salzburg, the only way to describe the spiritual atmosphere was peaceful, as every Christmas night should be.

At the orphanage, the happy orphans were sleeping peacefully with their new presents nearby; Clara slept with her doll Maria safe in her arms. Frau Wilhelmina was finishing up some paperwork with a smile on her face, for once.

At the abbey, all of the sisters, novice and postulants participated in their Christmas night vigil of singing and silent prayer. The Reverend Mother oversaw it with a true feeling of peace in her heart, especially when she remembered seeing Maria on Captain Von Trapp's arm in church today. She had seen how perfect they looked together, and expected an engagement announcement by tomorrow at the latest.

But where the feelings of peace and happiness were most profound was at the Villa Von Trapp. Max and the children were in peaceful sleep, content from the best Christmas they could thus far remember. But there were two people in the villa who were not asleep.

Georg silently entered his private study, holding two hot mugs of hot chocolate with marshmallows, and his eyes fell upon Maria. Both were now dressed in their pajamas, robes and slippers. She was standing at the uncovered window, watching the beautiful snow fall gracefully. With her left hand, she was fingering her edelweiss pendant; he saw the diamond of her engagement ring twinkle as her fingers moved. He smiled lovingly.

They had already talked a bit about quite a few things. Both Maria and Georg knew that a long engagement would kill them, and that their ceremony would be the epitome of simple and private. They were aiming for New Year's Eve, a true symbol of their new life beginning and starting the new year together as a family. But, more than anything, they wanted to get married right away for two reasons: they had already spent too long apart, and Maria did not want to sleep alone in an empty house anymore.

Because they only wanted a small ceremony with family and a few close friends only, their goal was more certain than possible. This would give Maria the right amount of time to resign her job at the dress boutique and reorganize her schedule with the orphanage, where she was adamant to continue teaching music. Georg, who had been very touched by Clara's story and was a true teacher at heart, had even volunteered to teach Clara her numbers and letters one-on-one, since the teachers at the orphanage already had so much to do. The cottage they would keep for now, for Georg especially like the idea of using it as a getaway when the pressures of life or raising seven children would become too much for them, as he knew it would at times. Maria had warmed to that suggestion immensely.

Silently, Georg shut the study door and walked to Maria. He placed both mugs on a nearby side table, and Maria turned her head to him. She smiled radiantly, and he smiled right back. No longer able to resist her, Georg wrapped one arm around her back and with his free hand caressed her face. They had both found their happiness, their life, and the end of their loneliness in finding each other again.

Their lips met in a tender kiss, letting it last a long time. They then turned to the window, sipping their hot chocolate and an arm around each other, watching the snow fall outside as they dreamed and resolved.

They dreamed of their lives together that had just begun. They resolved to leave the past in the past, live in the present, and walk into the future together, for as long as they both should live.

But most of all, both Maria and Georg felt grateful. Grateful that this Christmas, they were not alone, and would never be alone again for many, many Christmases to come.

**THE END**


End file.
